a proportion of time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a proportion of time" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the amount of time allocated or spent on a particular activity or task in relation to a whole. Example: "During the meeting, a proportion of time was dedicated to discussing future projects."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

In six trials reporting on the amount of time spent asleep as a proportion of time spent in bed, they found a small but clinically insignificant effect: melatonin increased the amount of time people slept by about 10 minutes for eight hours spent in bed.

The New York Times - Health

Nine patients were considered as severely asynchronous, with a proportion of time spent in asynchrony > 75th percentile, i.e., > 39% of time (Table 2).

Annals of Intensive Care

All cats were studied in their home environment, this was usually the household although, Ogata and Takeuchi [5] reported that two cats from their study population spent a proportion of time in a cage.

Plosone

We measure associations between pairs of individuals using the Simple Ratio Index or SRI [ 34- 36], which is in essence a proportion of time two individuals spend together (see Methods).

BMC Ecology

We also repeated our analyses after hypothetically assuming that a proportion of time considered as routine/non-emergency activities ranging from 0% (that is, equivalent to our main analysis) to 20% (that is, a fifth of on duty time) should have been classified as a specific strenuous duty.

British Medical Journal

The CMG can also be interpreted as a proportion of time the patient misses their medications, with a CMG of 20% meaning that on average, the patient missed 20% of the doses, or 1 day or dose in 5. Prior literature has established that a lack of medication possession of  ≥  20% is clinically significant refill non-adherence [ 14].

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Each could donate a few dancers, and a proportion of studio time and money.

The Guardian

Just as troubling is the tendency for capitalism to reabsorb a proportion of the time saved by productivity gains by creating more work.

The Guardian

"However, on-demand TV will increase as a proportion of the time-shifted total".

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Conventional designs of chiller plants are typically based on the peak cooling loads of buildings, while only a small proportion of time in a year the cooling load of a building is at its peak level.

Energy Procedia

We found that a longer proportion of time on a higher statin daily dose was associated with a somewhat decreased PCa incidence (mean HR 0.997, P = 0.0008).

Diabetes Care

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a proportion of time", ensure that the context clearly indicates the total time being considered. For example, specify "a proportion of their working time" or "a proportion of the project's duration".

Common error

Avoid using "a proportion of time" without clearly defining what the total time represents. Omitting this can lead to ambiguity and confusion about the scale being referenced.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a proportion of time" functions as a noun phrase, specifying a quantifiable amount of duration relative to a whole. This phrase is commonly used to describe the allocation or distribution of time across different activities or states, as shown in Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

63%

News & Media

25%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a proportion of time" is a grammatically correct and usable expression, as confirmed by Ludwig. It is employed to quantify the amount of time dedicated to a specific activity or state relative to a whole. While not extremely common, it appears frequently in scientific literature, news articles, and business reports. The phrase functions as a noun phrase, serving to provide precise quantification of time allocation, as noted in Ludwig's analysis. To enhance clarity, it is crucial to specify the reference or the total time when using this phrase. Alternatives such as "a fraction of time", "a segment of time", and "a share of time" offer similar meanings with slight variations in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a fraction of time

Emphasizes that the amount of time is a small part of the whole.

a segment of time

Highlights a distinct, bounded portion of time.

a share of time

Suggests that the time is being divided or allocated among different uses.

a duration of time

Focuses on the length of the time period.

a piece of time

Implies that the time is a portion carved out from other activities.

a period of time

Refers to a specific interval of time.

a measure of time

Highlights the quantification aspect of the time being considered.

an interval of time

Focuses on a set amount of time between events.

a lapse of time

Emphasizes that some time has passed.

a quantity of time

Highlights the amount of time, especially when comparing different quantities.

FAQs

How can I use "a proportion of time" in a sentence?

Use "a proportion of time" to describe the amount of time spent on a specific activity relative to a larger time frame. For example, "A significant "proportion of time" was spent on research."

What are some alternatives to "a proportion of time"?

You can use alternatives like "a fraction of time", "a segment of time", or "a share of time" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "a percentage of time" or "a proportion of time"?

Both "a percentage of time" and "a proportion of time" are correct, but "a percentage of time" is more specific, indicating a value out of 100. "A proportion of time" is a more general way to describe a part of a whole.

What does "a proportion of time" mean in a scientific context?

In science, "a proportion of time" is often used to quantify how much time is spent on a specific behavior, activity, or state relative to the total observation period. For example, measuring the "proportion of time" animals spend foraging.