either once or

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "either once or" is not correct and usable in written English as it is incomplete.
It can be used when presenting options or alternatives, but it requires additional context to be meaningful. Example: "You can choose to complete the task either once or multiple times, depending on your preference."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Sessions for a specific subject were run either once or twice a week.

Nature

Eighteen mature Merino ewes were used to study the effect of either once or twice daily concentrate supplementation of wheat straw on voluntary intake and diet digestibility.

Small Ruminant Research

Teens gain leadership and vocational skills with their peers through supportive meetings held either once or twice daily depending on their placement.

University of California, Berkeley

During the two days that your sleep will last, they will briefly wake you up either once or twice, depending on the toss of a fair coin (Heads: once; Tails: twice).

Princeton University

These samples included multiple, longitudinal samples from Zika patients, with or without prior exposure to dengue virus, and samples from dengue patients infected either once or more than once with different types of the dengue virus.

University of California, Berkeley

You can then opt to receive customized push notifications about individual topics (your "pipes") and/or the day's top stories, selecting to receive them either once or twice per day.

TechCrunch

As defined by Rosenbaum (1989), "A complete matched pair is a set (mathfrak {I}) of N disjoint matched pairs, that is N matched pairs in which each treated unit appears once, and each control unit appears either once or not at all" (p. 1024).

Large-scale Assessments in Education

Likewise, boys comprised 54percentt of children in preschool programs, yet represented the vast majority of pre-K students suspended either once or multiple times.

Huffington Post

Meanwhile, multiple large districts — from Billings Public Schools in Montana to the Los Angeles Unified School District — have closed either once or not at all in the same timeframe.

Huffington Post

The overall treatment was given either once or multiply.

British Journal of Cancer

Herpotherm® was used either once or several times a day.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure that the phrase is used to present a clear choice between two options, such as "using the tool "either once or" twice a day."

Common error

Avoid using "either once or" without a clear alternative specified. Complete the comparison to ensure clarity; for example, correct it to ""either once or" twice".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "either once or" serves as a correlative conjunction, introducing alternatives, but it's grammatically incomplete. It requires a second element after 'or' to present a valid choice. Ludwig indicates that the phrase needs additional context to be meaningful.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

48%

News & Media

21%

Academia

11%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "either once or" is a frequently used phrase that introduces a choice between options, commonly found in scientific, news, and academic contexts. However, according to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically incomplete without a specified alternative after the 'or'. Therefore, always ensure that a clear second option is provided to make the comparison valid, such as "either once or" twice or repeatedly.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

either once or repeatedly

This directly contrasts a single instance with multiple repetitions.

once or more

This alternative offers a more general way of indicating single or multiple occurrences.

once, or several times

This option clearly distinguishes between a single occurrence and multiple instances.

once or on multiple occasions

This alternative highlights the possibility of singular or plural instances.

either a single time or

This alternative is more explicit and formal, emphasizing the 'single time' aspect.

a single time or multiples times

This option stresses the numerical difference between single and multiple.

on one occasion or more

This phrase is a more formal and verbose way of expressing the original concept.

single or repeated

This emphasizes the nature of the action as isolated or recurring.

either a sole instance or

This option uses more sophisticated vocabulary to convey the choice between a singular event and other options.

one time or another

This suggests an unspecified occasion, differing from the original's direct choice.

FAQs

How can I correctly use "either" in a sentence to present a choice?

The word "either" must be followed by "or" to present a clear choice between two options. For example, use "either once or twice" to provide the options of performing an action one or two times.

What are some alternatives to "either once or" that clearly indicate a choice of frequency?

Alternatives include phrases like "once or more", "once or twice", or "single or repeated", depending on the specific options you want to convey.

Is it grammatically correct to use "either" without explicitly stating the alternatives?

No, it is grammatically incorrect. The word "either" always requires an "or" to present a choice. Ensure that both options are clearly stated to avoid ambiguity. It is often better to rephrase the sentence.

What's the difference between "either once or twice" and "once or twice"?

"Either once or twice" emphasizes that there's a choice being presented. "Once or twice" simply states the possible frequencies without explicitly highlighting the decision between them.