either all or some

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "either all or some" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing options or possibilities that include the entirety or a portion of a group or set. Example: "In this project, we can choose either all or some of the proposed solutions based on our budget constraints."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

Several people close to the company say Mr. Kennedy is weighing a move to combine either all or some of the public and private businesses if Cox Communications or its parent decide to pursue more acquisitions.

The New York Times

"We know that these cuts are hitting disabled people disproportionately and what we are publishing today is analysis showing that of the 190,000 disabled people who currently get Disability Living Allowance, as the transition to personal independence payments takes place, more than 100,000 of them will lose either all or some of their entitlement".

BBC

Most action-based theories of perception in the last 300 years, however, have looked to action in order to explain how vision, in particular, acquires either all or some of its spatial representational content.

SEP

This compelling success was favoured by a natural selective advantage for gene-corrected cells, as in both types of SCID, patients are devoid of either all or some lymphocytic lineages offering empty niches for transplanted cells to engraft.

EMBO Molecular Medicine

Nevertheless, subgroup analyses were conducted for both vaginal delivery and caesarean section outcomes, in which we removed trials which had randomized women with previous caesarean section (either all or some participants).

British Medical Journal

The overall impact of COS was lower (COSI total score: p = 0.025) as well as the Interference in Daily Life (home: p = 0.005 work p = 0.037) and Injection Burden (p = 0.031) for those who were paying either all or some of the costs of IVF themselves.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

These cells can either all contain your data or some of them can be empty.

WikiHow

But either all perceptible bodies or some, such as earth and water, have weight, as these thinkers would themselves admit.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

and note that either for all or for some.

Boundary Value Problems

Since candidate tRNase Z-like proteins found in basal land plants and green algae either lack all or some of the conserved motifs of tRNase Zs, they most likely possess no tRNase Z activity.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

At the end of the first cycle of treatment, patients harbouring either the UGT1A1*28/*28, all or some non-favourable UGT1A genotypes (either UGT1A1*28/*28 or UGT1A7*3/*3 or UGT1A9*1/*1), or the haplotype VII were at a higher risk of developing non-haematologic toxicity.

British Journal of Cancer

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "either all or some", ensure the context clearly defines what the 'all' and 'some' refer to, avoiding ambiguity for the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "either all or some" when the subsequent choices are not parallel. For example, don't say "Choose either all or some of the actions, or think about it." The phrase should introduce options that are grammatically consistent.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "either all or some" functions as a conjunction phrase, indicating a choice between two possibilities concerning the quantity or extent of something. Ludwig AI confirms its proper use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "either all or some" serves as a conjunction phrase that indicates a choice between a complete quantity and a partial one. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and wide applicability. As evidenced by the examples, it is frequently employed in science and news media contexts to convey optionality and flexibility. While grammatically sound, it's important to ensure parallelism in sentence structure and clarity in defining the 'all' and 'some'. Alternatives include "any or all", "complete or partial", and "whole or part", depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

any or all

Swaps "either" for "any" providing a slightly more direct option.

whole or part

Focuses on the quantity being selected, emphasizing complete vs partial.

complete or partial

Highlights the degree of selection from full to only a portion.

everything or a portion

Emphasizes the inclusivity aspect with "everything".

the entirety or a fraction

Uses more formal synonyms for "all" and "some".

all, some, or none

Expands the possibilities to explicitly include the option of no selection.

any amount

Simplifies to indicate any quantity is acceptable.

from zero to full

Specifies a range of quantities, from nothing to everything.

some if not all

Inverts the order to suggest partial selection as a minimum.

a bit or the whole thing

Uses very informal language.

FAQs

How can I use "either all or some" in a sentence?

You can use "either all or some" to indicate a choice between a complete set and a portion of that set. For instance, "We can implement "any or all" of the features in the next update".

What are some alternatives to "either all or some"?

Alternatives include "any or all", "complete or partial", or "whole or part", depending on the specific context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "either all or some"?

Yes, the phrase "either all or some" is grammatically correct. It's used to express a choice between a complete quantity and a partial one.

What's the difference between "either all or some" and "all or nothing"?

"Either all or some" implies a range of options from a portion to the entirety, whereas "all or nothing" presents only two extreme options: everything or nothing at all.