expected or unexpected

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "expected or unexpected" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe outcomes or events that may occur in a situation, indicating whether they align with what was anticipated or not. Example: "The results of the experiment were both expected and unexpected, revealing new insights into the phenomenon."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

48 human-written examples

A two-way ANOVA was conducted in SPM with the stimulus type (familiar or novel) and expectation (expected or unexpected) as the within-subjects factors.

Hippocampus

Two ANOVAs were run separately for the novel and familiar stimuli, with response in the follow-up task (familiar or recollected) and expectation status in the original task (expected or unexpected) as the within-subjects factors.

Hippocampus

Ulrich et al. examined the effects of whether a stimulus was expected or unexpected on temporal perception, manipulating expectations by presenting some items with high frequency and others with low frequency [30].

Plosone

Load magnitude was expected or unexpected.

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

We recorded and compared event-related potentials (ERPs) to the presentation of stimuli instantiating expected or unexpected features.

Biological Psychology

The paper provides an account of which expected or unexpected occupant actions matter in which way for the zero emission ambitions of the building.

Energy Research & Social Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

12 human-written examples

Cued (here, left) gratings could either have the expected or the unexpected orientation, and the orientation of non-cued (right) gratings could either be congruent or incongruent with the expectation cue.

Nature

Overall, accuracy and reaction times were not influenced by whether the cued grating had the expected or the unexpected orientation (accuracy: F1,22 = 0.0014, p = 0.97; RT: F1,22 = 0.066, p =���0.80), nor was there an interaction between task (orientation task vs. contrast task) and expectation (expected vs. unexpected) (accuracy: F1,22 = 0.64, p = 0.43; RT: F1,22 = 0.65, p = 0.43).

Nature

Thus, when rendered expected, or very unexpected, the critical chords in the expressive conditions all differed in their key-stroke velocity compared to the preceding chords (most of them being played with an accent, i.e. with increased loudness), whereas all notes in the non-expressive condition were played with the same key-stroke velocity as all other chords.

Plosone

I was not clear if the lack of staining in RMG-II cells was expected or an unexpected but useful result?

F1000Research

However, you will also need to anticipate and develop a financial plan for major life events—expected or unexpected which may include medical needs, long-term care and changing family dynamics.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "expected or unexpected", ensure the context clearly establishes what expectations are being referenced. This provides clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "expected or unexpected" when the context already implies uncertainty. Redundancy can weaken your writing and make it less impactful.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "expected or unexpected" serves as a disjunctive adjective phrase. It modifies nouns by presenting two alternative states or possibilities related to anticipation or predictability. This phrase is commonly used to describe a range of outcomes, events, or reactions, as confirmed by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

54%

News & Media

25%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "expected or unexpected" is a versatile and grammatically sound disjunctive adjective phrase, used to express uncertainty about an outcome or event. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is deemed correct and usable in written English. With a high frequency of occurrence across various sources, from scientific publications to news articles, it is appropriate for many writing contexts. While versatile, be aware of potential redundancy and strive for conciseness. Consider contextually relevant alternatives to add nuance to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

anticipated or unanticipated

Replaces "expected" and "unexpected" with synonyms that also denote foreknowledge or the lack thereof.

foreseen or unforeseen

Uses synonyms emphasizing the ability to see or predict an event beforehand.

planned or unplanned

Focuses on whether something was deliberately intended or not.

predicted or unpredicted

Highlights the act of forecasting and whether a forecast was accurate.

scheduled or unscheduled

Emphasizes whether something was formally arranged or occurred spontaneously.

certain or uncertain

Shifts the focus to the level of confidence or surety about an outcome.

typical or atypical

Indicates whether an occurrence conforms to the norm or deviates from it.

standard or non-standard

Highlights compliance or non-compliance with an established rule or practice.

regular or irregular

Focuses on the consistency or inconsistency of an event's occurrence.

conventional or unconventional

Points to whether something adheres to traditional norms or defies them.

FAQs

How can I use "expected or unexpected" in a sentence?

You can use "expected or unexpected" to describe events, outcomes, or consequences. For example: "The study analyzed both "expected outcomes" and "unexpected outcomes" of the new policy."

What are some alternatives to using "expected or unexpected"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "anticipated or unanticipated", "foreseen or unforeseen", or "planned or unplanned".

Is it redundant to use "expected or unexpected"?

While the phrase itself isn't inherently redundant, using it in contexts where the uncertainty is already clear can be. Ensure the phrase adds value and clarity to your writing.

What's the difference between "expected or unexpected" and "likely or unlikely"?

"Expected or unexpected" focuses on whether something was anticipated, while "likely or unlikely" refers to the probability of something occurring. They address different aspects of an event or outcome.