can be expanded if needed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "can be expanded if needed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when indicating that something has the potential to be elaborated upon or made more detailed if necessary. Example: "The report is concise but can be expanded if needed to include more data and analysis."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The capacity of nine homeless shelters can be expanded if needed, the agency said, and reminded everyone that landlords are required by law to heat apartments to 68 Fahrenheit during the day and 66 at night.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The project will break ground this year, and it can be expanded if more money materializes.

The New Yorker

The transit service area can be expanded if a safer and more comfortable bicycling environment is available.

Journal of Transport Geography

The fact that M2 can be expanded to exactly two Tarskian models needs the Transfer Theorem, alluded to above.

SEP

And if more drug is needed, the herd can be expanded.

The New York Times

In the future this can be expanded to four runways if necessary for the main hub.

BBC

This dose can be expanded to 15 mg if no dose-limiting toxicity occurs.

Clinical Epigenetics

"If this work can be expanded, there will be surprising things you can do with light," he says.

Science Magazine

It will be interesting to determine if these observations can be expanded across a wider spectrum of tumor specimens.

Breast Cancer Research

If the business develops and the demand improves, the system can be expanded subsequently using appropriate technology combinations.

Renewable Energy

If the HOSU concept can be expanded to include those proteins within the same family that have "similar" structure and function, then "similarity" can be assessed using bioinformatics and animal toxicity testing may not be needed.

Critical Reviews in Toxicology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "can be expanded if needed" when describing systems, plans, or documents that are designed to accommodate future growth or additional information. This indicates flexibility and foresight in planning.

Common error

Avoid overuse of passive voice constructions like "can be expanded if needed" when active voice would provide more clarity and conciseness. For example, instead of "The team's responsibilities can be expanded if needed", consider "The team can expand its responsibilities if needed".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "can be expanded if needed" functions as a conditional statement, indicating the possibility of enlargement or elaboration based on a specific requirement. Ludwig AI indicates that this construction is grammatically sound and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

45%

Wiki

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "can be expanded if needed" is a versatile and grammatically sound expression used to convey the possibility of future growth or elaboration based on certain conditions. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. It's commonly found in various contexts, including News & Media, Science, and Wiki articles, indicating its adaptability across different communication styles. When using this phrase, consider whether active voice might provide more clarity. Alternative phrasings like "can be scaled up if necessary" or "can be augmented if required" can add nuance or formality to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

can be scaled up if necessary

Replaces "expanded" with "scaled up" and "needed" with "necessary", focusing on the scaling aspect.

can be increased if required

Substitutes "expanded" with "increased" and "needed" with "required", providing a more formal tone.

can be augmented if there is a need

Uses "augmented" for "expanded" and adds "if there is a need" for a more explicit condition.

can be extended when necessary

Replaces "expanded" with "extended" and "needed" with "necessary", suggesting a lengthening or broadening.

is expandable if the need arises

Changes the structure to emphasize the potential for expansion if a need arises.

can be enlarged if the situation warrants

Uses "enlarged" for "expanded" and adds "if the situation warrants" for a more specific condition.

is capable of expansion if necessary

Focuses on the capability of expansion under necessary conditions.

can be broadened if the demand increases

Replaces "expanded" with "broadened" and specifies "if the demand increases" as the condition.

is adaptable for expansion if required

Highlights adaptability for expansion when required.

may be further developed if the occasion calls for it

Offers a more verbose and formal alternative, using "further developed" and "if the occasion calls for it".

FAQs

How can I rephrase "can be expanded if needed" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, you could use phrases like "can be augmented if required", "can be extended when necessary", or "is expandable if the need arises".

What is a simpler way to say "can be expanded if needed"?

Simpler alternatives include "can be scaled up if necessary" or "can be increased if required".

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "can be expanded if needed"?

This phrase is appropriate when discussing plans, systems, or documents that are designed to be flexible and adaptable to future needs or growth. It indicates a contingency plan for potential future requirements.

Is there a difference in meaning between "can be expanded if needed" and "can be expanded when needed"?

The difference is subtle. "Can be expanded if needed" implies a general possibility, while "can be expanded when needed" suggests that the expansion will occur at a specific point in time when the need arises.