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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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a delay exists

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a delay exists" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when indicating that a delay is present or has occurred in a particular situation. Example: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, a delay exists in the delivery of your order."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Academia

Professional

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The number of events required for the trial will be determined to ensure sufficient power for both the overall log-rank test without a delayed effect and the test beyond the delayed period when such a delay exists.

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

In the community monopolization effect, early-arriving or resident species adapt to new or changing conditions provided a sufficient delay exists before a better adapted species arrives (Urban and De Meester 2009).

Because the defect is closed gradually, a time delay exists before bony contact and compression occur at the docking site, thus prolonging treatment time.

In addition, the proposed BDSAE approach is implemented frame by frame, and thus, there is no any delay existed.

In an actively controlled system, time delay exists inevitably.

Recent data suggests that on average an 18 to 24 months delay exists from onset of symptoms to the final diagnosis of CTEPH [ 9].

Both of the state feedback and the static output feedback memoryless controllers can be designed to attenuate the system response due to disturbance on the controlled output to a prescribed level even when the time delay exists.

[21] investigated the leader-following problem of network, in which the network topology is assumed to be arbitrarily switched among a finite set of topologies, and time-varying delay exists in the coupling of agents.

The longest delay exists when there are 1050 tags and a large, and then successively a somewhat shorter delay when decreasing.

The time delay exists extensively in the real word networks.

Interval time-varying delay exists in the state, derivatives of the state (neutral), and the output.

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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In academic writing, provide specific details following the phrase, such as the cause or the duration of the delay (e.g., 'a delay exists due to measurement lags').

Common error

A frequent error is omitting the indefinite article 'a' when the noun is countable. While 'delay exists' can be used as a generalized concept in very specific titles, in standard prose, "a delay exists" is the grammatically correct form. Also, avoid using 'exist' (plural) when the subject is singular.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

92%

Authority and reliability

4.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

Grammatically, "a delay exists" functions as a complete independent clause or a subject-verb unit within a larger sentence. In the examples provided by Ludwig, it often serves as a statement of fact within complex systems (e.g., control systems or medical diagnosis).

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

75%

Academia

15%

Professional

10%

Less common in

News & Media

5%

Social Media

1%

Informal Speech

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "a delay exists" is a grammatically correct and highly formal way to denote the presence of a time lag. While Ludwig AI shows that its exact occurrence is relatively rare compared to more common phrases like "<a href="/s/there+is+a+delay" target="_blank" rel="alternative">there is a delay", it is a preferred choice in scientific, academic, and technical documentation. It is used most effectively when describing systematic lags in data processing, medical diagnostics, or mechanical control loops. Writers should ensure they include the article 'a' and use the phrase when they need to maintain a neutral, objective tone in their reporting.

FAQs

How to use "a delay exists" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a situation where something is taking longer than expected. For example: "The study found that <a href="/s/a+delay+exists" target="_blank" rel="alternative">a delay exists between the treatment and the first visible results."

What can I say instead of "a delay exists"?

Depending on your context, you might use "<a href="/s/there+is+a+delay" target="_blank" rel="alternative">there is a delay", "<a href="/s/latency+occurs" target="_blank" rel="alternative">latency occurs", or "<a href="/s/a+lag+is+present" target="_blank" rel="alternative">a lag is present".

Is "a delay exists" formal?

Yes, it is considered formal. In everyday conversation, people are more likely to say "it's late" or "<a href="/s/there+is+a+wait" target="_blank" rel="alternative">there is a wait".

What is the difference between "a delay exists" and "there is a delay"?

While both are correct, "a delay exists" is slightly more academic and focuses on the delay as an independent entity, whereas "<a href="/s/there+is+a+delay" target="_blank" rel="alternative">there is a delay" is more common in standard professional correspondence.

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Most frequent sentences: