assortment of things

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "assortment of things" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a variety or collection of different items or objects. Example: "The store offers an assortment of things, from clothing to home decor."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

They filled the back of the station wagon with a random assortment of things, including a first edition of "Out of Africa," and their little dog, Charlie.

The New Yorker

He read an assortment of things to the studio audience, finding much humor in the letters to the editor of The Daily News.

The New York Times - Arts

Hill confesses to hoarding an assortment of things for her son inside hers, but "it's important that a bag becomes part of you, and not the other way around".

The New York Times

"She had a jumbled assortment of things in her yard, including a sand pile with a real cook stove in it where my cousins and I would make mud pies.

The New York Times - Magazine

How is the money divided? A. About 10percentt is in manufacturing; between 40percentand50percentcent is in various types of services, from funeral homes to telephones; and the balance is in an assortment of things, from financial companies to Internet companies.

The New York Times

On the other hand, when you have an organization, you have conflict, you have communication problems, you have an assortment of things of that sort that makes it probably harder to be perfectly rational.

Journal of Organization Design

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

Traditionally, misticanza – which means "a mixture of things" – was an assortment of leaves, field herbs and aromatic shoots collected at the first signs of spring from the fields surrounding Rome, and eaten as a salad.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Ignoring the warnings of a caricatured old-timer, a group of apparently disposable friends head off to the titular torture house, where they are duly haunted and stalked by an off-the-peg assortment of bad things that go bump in the night.

The Guardian - Film

It featured a man dementedly saying he could use Weedol and kill plants while doing an assortment of other things.

Vice

The Lahore Museum features a piece of a fuselage from an Indian plane and a display of rifles in use in the 1960s, along with a frankly bewildering assortment of other things (the museum deserves a description in a separate post).

Huffington Post

"The whole reason he was charged was because he was sitting around the campfire with friends taking mushrooms and, amidst some sort of schizophrenic break, he confessed to this shooting, to being responsible for [the terrorist attacks of] 9/11 and an assortment of other things," Turnbaugh's former attorney, Kurt Hughes, told HuffPost.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "assortment of things" when you want to convey a diverse and somewhat undefined collection of items. Avoid using it when a more specific description is possible.

Common error

Avoid using "assortment of things" in formal or academic writing where more precise language is expected. Replace it with specific descriptions or more formal alternatives like "collection of items" or "variety of objects".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "assortment of things" functions as a noun phrase, acting as the object of a verb or preposition. It refers to a collection or variety of unspecified items. Ludwig AI confirms this usage through numerous examples, showing its role in describing diverse groups of items.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

3%

Academia

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "assortment of things" serves as a versatile way to describe a varied collection of items. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and finds frequent use across contexts such as news, science, and general descriptions. While its flexibility makes it a common choice, it's important to consider the formality of your writing. In formal contexts, more specific terms like "collection of items" or "variety of objects" might be more appropriate. Ultimately, understanding its purpose and register ensures effective communication, avoiding overuse while leveraging its descriptive power.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

collection of items

Focuses on the individual objects gathered together.

range of objects

Highlights the spectrum or variety within the group.

variety of stuff

More informal, referring to a mix of unspecified items.

mix of elements

Implies that the objects are combined or blended.

hodgepodge of items

Suggests a disorganized or random collection.

array of goods

Formal term indicating organized merchandise or possessions.

accumulation of objects

Points to a slow gathering of items, often over time.

cluster of things

Indicates objects are physically grouped together.

medley of items

Presents a varied and usually pleasing mix, like a musical medley.

compilation of articles

Focuses on written or manufactured objects put together.

FAQs

How can I use "assortment of things" in a sentence?

You can use "assortment of things" to refer to a variety of items or objects, such as: "The store offers an "assortment of things", from clothing to home decor."

What phrases are similar to "assortment of things"?

Similar phrases include "collection of items", "variety of stuff", or "mix of elements", each offering a slightly different nuance.

When is it appropriate to use "assortment of things"?

It's appropriate when describing a general collection where the specific items are not as important as the fact that there's a variety. In formal contexts, consider using more specific alternatives.

Is "assortment of things" formal or informal?

The phrase "assortment of things" is generally considered neutral to slightly informal. For formal writing, consider alternatives like "collection of items" or "variety of objects".