collection or collections

USAGE SUMMARY

"collection or collections" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to multiple collections or to an indefinite number of collections. For example, "Recent studies indicate that climate change has a significant impact on plant and animal species, leading to the need for conservation measures and collection or collections of data."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

This time, he has surveyed his cartoon colleagues in search of the cartoon collection or collections that helped shape their cartoon sensibility in their formative years.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

There were no significant differences in bile acid variables by categories of age, body mass index, the use of drugs at the time of blood collection, time of blood collection, or parity.

British Journal of Cancer

They may contain data and samples from family studies, or from patients with a specific disease (plus ideally, matched controls), or they may be part of large-scale epidemiologic collections, or collections from clinical trials of new medical interventions.

Genome Medicine

SMRI (A/C) - Stanley Medical Research Institute/Stanley Foundation (Array Collection/Neuropathology Collection).

BMC Psychiatry

"We are not a collection of collections," said Katharine Lee Reid, the museum's director.

The New York Times - Arts

Put otherwise, interventions may be grouped according to name brands (e.g. in parenting, where Incredible Years [ 18] and Triple P [ 19] are both marketed interventions), collections of activities or collections of hypothesised change pathways which, together, may represent a set of identifiable options for clinical decision-makers.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Breast milk samples were collected from 20 women who reported mastitis at the time of collection or the day before milk collection.

BMC Family Practice

You can choose to unspool them in single, double or triple bands, while proceeding collection by collection or filtering according to medium or artist.

The New York Times - Arts

"We don't really tell anybody what they should be doing with the collection or saying about the collection".

The New York Times

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams are $12 a pint (minimum of four), or $70 for six pints of Splendid Holiday Collection or Sublime Holiday Collection, plus shipping, from jenisicecreams.com.

The New York Times - Food

"I think every collector, his collection or her collection is informed by his or her particular aesthetic, not unlike the way you would style a wine, key to your palate, your aesthetic in the taste of wine, the nature of the wine you are trying to create," he said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "collection or collections" to indicate the possibility of singular or plural collections when the exact number is unknown or irrelevant. Be aware that the phrase is redundant and should be avoided when clarity can be achieved with one word (either "collection" or "collections").

Common error

Avoid using "collection or collections" when simply using "collection" or "collections" is sufficient. Redundancy can make your writing sound less concise and professional.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "collection or collections" serves as a noun phrase, specifically functioning as the subject or object in a sentence. It is used to refer to a single group of items or multiple groups. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "collection or collections" is a grammatically correct phrase used to refer to either a single collection or multiple collections. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is acceptable in written English, though it can sometimes be redundant. It appears in both scientific and news media contexts. Be mindful of using the phrase when it adds value, as often "collection" or "collections" alone may suffice. To improve clarity, consider alternative phrasing such as "one or more collections" if precision is needed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

collection, if not collections

This alternative clarifies the possibility of one or multiple collections.

collections, or perhaps a single collection

This phrase emphasizes the potential for a singular collection.

a collection or several collections

This specifies the quantity explicitly, implying possibly more than one.

one or more collections

This directly states that there may be one or multiple collections.

a collection, or possibly collections

This offers 'collections' as a possibility, softening the certainty.

either a collection or multiple ones

This clearly presents a choice between a single collection and several.

the collection or the collections

Using 'the' specifies a particular collection or particular collections.

a group of items, or groups of items

Rephrasing using 'group' changes the term while retaining the plural possibility.

compilation or compilations

Substituting 'compilation' alters the term while preserving the multiple possibility.

assortment or assortments

This rephrases the expression with assortment maintaining a slightly different nuance.

FAQs

How can I use "collection or collections" in a sentence?

Use "collection or collections" to refer to one or more sets of items gathered together. For example, "The museum features a diverse "collection" or "collections" of artifacts from different cultures."

What's a simpler way to say "collection or collections"?

You can often simplify "collection or collections" to just ""collection"" or ""collections"" depending on whether you need to emphasize the possibility of multiple sets.

Is it grammatically correct to say "collection or collections"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct, but it can sometimes be redundant. The phrase is used to indicate that there might be one collection or multiple collections. Ensure that the context requires this explicit clarification.

When should I use "collection or collections" instead of just "collection"?

Use "collection or collections" when the distinction between a single collection and multiple collections is important to the meaning of the sentence, and the specific number isn't known or relevant. If the context makes it clear that multiple collections are possible, ""collections"" alone might be sufficient.