series
series — noun
1. a group of events, actions, or things that follow each other in order and are co
a group of events, actions, or things that follow each other in order and are connected in some way
A series of earthquakes shook the coastal town last spring.
a series of + plural noun as subject
Ziad attended a series of workshops on renewable energy.
a series of + noun for ordered events
The police are investigating a series of burglaries in the area.
After a series of delays, the flight finally took off.
Ritu published a series of articles about street food in Taipei.
- sequence
focuses on the order in which things happen; more formal than 'series'
- chain
emphasises that each event is linked to the next, often with a cause-effect connection
- succession
formal; stresses that one thing follows another without interruption
- single event
a one-time occurrence rather than a connected group
文法句型
a series of + plural noun + singular verb
用法筆記
The phrase 'a series of' is followed by a plural noun but typically takes a singular verb: 'A series of meetings IS planned.'
常見錯誤
2. a set of games played between two teams, usually over several days or weeks, to
a set of games played between two teams, usually over several days or weeks, to decide which team wins overall
The Yankees won the first two games of the World Series.
proper noun + Series for major sporting event
Brazil and Argentina will play a five-match series next summer.
[number]-match/game series
The team lost the championship series after a crushing defeat in game seven.
Otis bought tickets for all three games of the playoff series.
The basketball series between the two rivals drew record crowds.
- playoff
a series of games to decide a championship; more limited in scope
- tournament
a competition involving many teams, not just two
文法句型
the [name] + series
a [number]-game series
常見錯誤
3. a method of connecting electrical components along a single pathway, where the c
a method of connecting electrical components along a single pathway, where the current must travel through each component in turn
In a series circuit, if one bulb fails, all the other bulbs go dark.
in a series circuit — contrasting with parallel
The technician connected the two resistors in series to increase the total resistance.
connected in series
Sumin wired the battery, switch, and bulb in series for her science project.
Old-style Christmas lights are often arranged in series.
- series circuit
the full technical term for this arrangement
- parallel
an arrangement where current flows through multiple branches at the same time
文法句型
connected in series
in series with + noun
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used in the phrase 'in series' or 'series circuit'. It contrasts with 'parallel', where current flows through multiple branches at once.
常見錯誤
4. a group of TV or radio shows built around a shared topic, characters, or style,
a group of TV or radio shows built around a shared topic, characters, or style, broadcast on a regular schedule
The Netflix series about a chef in Tokyo became hugely popular.
series about [topic] — introducing subject
Élise never missed an episode of her favourite radio series.
The BBC is launching a new documentary series on ocean life.
Season three of the series is scheduled for release next month.
Chiara watched all seven seasons of the fantasy series in one month.
文法句型
a [genre] series
the [title] series
用法筆記
A 'series' covers all episodes across all seasons (e.g. 'the Harry Potter film series' or 'the entire TV series'). A 'season' is the set of episodes released in one year.
常見錯誤
5. multiple books issued by the same publisher that share a common topic, storyline
multiple books issued by the same publisher that share a common topic, storyline, or characters
The Harry Potter series has sold millions of copies worldwide.
the [title] series — most common pattern
Mayumi collected every volume in the science-fiction series.
The publisher is releasing a new series of biographies next year.
Christopher read the entire mystery series during the summer break.
The children's book series follows the adventures of a talking cat.
- collection
broader; can refer to any grouped items, not necessarily sequential
- set
less specific; may not imply sequential volumes
文法句型
a [genre] series
the [title] series
a series of [number] books
常見錯誤
6. the sum of the terms in a sequence of numbers or mathematical expressions, which
the sum of the terms in a sequence of numbers or mathematical expressions, which may be finite or infinite in length
Joaquín learned in maths class today that the arithmetic series 1 plus 2 plus 3 plus 4 equals 10.
arithmetic series — specific type of series
In calculus class, Kwame learned how to find the sum of an infinite series.
infinite series — series with no end
The geometric series is one of the most useful concepts in mathematics.
Talia solved the problem by recognising it as a convergent series.
- summation
more general term for adding terms together
- sequence
an ordered list of terms, as opposed to their sum
文法句型
[type] series
the sum of a series
infinite series
用法筆記
In mathematics, a 'sequence' is an ordered list of numbers (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4), while a 'series' is the sum of those numbers (e.g. 1+2+3+4 = 10). Do not confuse the two.
常見錯誤
7. several postage stamps designed around the same theme, or a set of coins or bank
several postage stamps designed around the same theme, or a set of coins or banknotes produced as a collectible series
The butterfly series of stamps was issued by the post office in 2021.
butterfly series of stamps — theme-based naming
Selim showed his Olympic-series coins from the 1984 games.
The flower-themed stamp series was very popular among collectors.
Madison bought the complete series of currency notes from the 1960s.
- set
less formal; used more broadly for any grouped collectible items
文法句型
a [theme] series of stamps/coins
the [name] series