a certain performance

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a certain performance" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a specific performance that is not explicitly named or when discussing a performance that is notable in some way. Example: "The critics were impressed by a certain performance that stood out among the rest during the festival."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

50 human-written examples

The pruning is performed by iteratively training a network to a certain performance criterion and then removing the hidden neuron with the lowest relevance value until no one can further be removed.

Neurocomputing

"There is a certain performance quality or showmanship to them," he added.

Independent

For example, videotex tells you all about this week's cultural events and you can tell it to reserve seats for you for a certain performance.

The New Yorker

I demand and expect a certain performance, and I can put my arm around a player and say, 'This is what I need,' and put pressure on them in a different way.

The New York Times - Sports

This threshold could be assumed to be constant or it could be calculated to optimize a certain performance measure3.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Each combination of the techniques will exhibit a certain performance at the cost of device complexity and backhaul requirement.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

10 human-written examples

The breath-first based K-Best decoder [14] and fixed sphere decoder (FSD) [15] are thus proposed to obtain a constant throughput and to reduce the hardware complexity at a cost of certain performance loss.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Then under what condition is the system stable and how to design a controller to meet certain performance requirement?

European Journal of Control

The head of corporate affairs at bailed-out Lloyds Banking Group stands to receive more than £1.3m a year if he hits certain performance targets, it emerged on Thursday, in a rare insight into pay deals outside company boardrooms.

The Guardian - Business

To judge student performance on a certain task, performance-based assessment criteria should be formulated on task-level as for each task a different set of criteria is relevant.

Advances in Health Sciences Education

Last year, he also received a $3.8 million bonus for meeting certain performance targets, according to company filings.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a certain performance", ensure the context provides enough information for the reader to understand which performance you are referring to, even if it's not explicitly named. For added clarity, consider providing descriptive details.

Common error

Avoid using "a certain performance" when the lack of specific information could lead to confusion. If the performance isn't identifiable from the context, it's better to be more specific or use a more general term like "performance" without "certain".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a certain performance" functions as a determiner phrase modifying the noun "performance". It indicates that the speaker or writer has a specific, though perhaps unnamed, instance of performance in mind, adding a layer of specificity without explicit identification. Ludwig AI provides numerous examples of usage across multiple categories.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

64%

News & Media

28%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a certain performance" is a grammatically sound and frequently employed expression used to denote a specific, albeit possibly unspecified, instance of performance. Ludwig AI confirms its wide applicability across diverse contexts, including science, news, and formal writing. When employing this phrase, ensure that the context provides enough cues for understanding, and be mindful of potentially causing confusion through overgeneralization. Consider using alternatives like "a particular performance" or "a specific performance" for added clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a particular performance

Replaces "certain" with "particular", emphasizing the specific instance of the performance.

a specific performance

Substitutes "certain" with "specific", highlighting the defined or precise nature of the performance.

a given performance

Uses "given" in place of "certain", implying a performance that is predetermined or under consideration.

a notable performance

Replaces "certain" with "notable", emphasizing the noteworthy or remarkable quality of the performance.

a remarkable performance

Similar to 'notable performance', but emphasizes the outstanding and exceptional character of the performance.

a stellar performance

Uses "stellar" instead of "certain", indicating a performance of exceptionally high quality.

a commendable performance

Replaces "certain" with "commendable", highlighting the praiseworthy aspect of the performance.

a distinguished performance

Substitutes "certain" with "distinguished", suggesting a performance that stands out for its excellence and quality.

a memorable performance

Replaces "certain" with "memorable", highlighting the unforgettable quality of the performance.

an unspecified performance

Emphasizes the lack of specific detail about the performance, making it generic.

FAQs

How can I use "a certain performance" in a sentence?

You can use "a certain performance" to refer to a specific instance without explicitly naming it. For example, "The director praised a certain performance during the rehearsal." You can also use it to describe a hypothetical or theoretical performance, like "To achieve a certain performance level, the athlete trained rigorously".

What are some alternatives to "a certain performance"?

Some alternatives include "a particular performance", "a specific performance", or "a notable performance", depending on the nuance you wish to convey.

Is it better to say "a certain performance" or "a specific performance"?

Both "a certain performance" and "a specific performance" are grammatically correct, but "a specific performance" emphasizes the defined and precise nature, while "a certain performance" implies the existence of a performance that may not be explicitly identified.

What does "a certain performance" imply about the performance being discussed?

"A certain performance" often implies that the speaker or writer is aware of a particular performance but may not be naming it for various reasons, such as privacy, lack of relevance to the main point, or because the exact details aren't necessary for the current context.