a strange occurrence

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a strange occurrence" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe an event or situation that is unusual or unexpected. Example: "The villagers were puzzled by a strange occurrence that took place in the forest last night."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

Paul Casey being left off the list was a strange occurrence.

Independent

The city also witnessed a strange occurrence last week when blue snow was spotted on the city's streets.

The Guardian

My decision to move to the Midtown area of Atlanta was sparked by a strange occurrence involving my car.

The New York Times

It is a strange occurrence in Washington when members of the well-ordered Bush White House publicly disagree with each other, but it happened on Wednesday.

The New York Times

A strange occurrence, but then again strange things happen in the Sax-Zim Bog — like a congregation of four great gray owls.

The New York Times - Travel

In February of 2013, a strange occurrence following the publication of our paper raised questions about the connections of industry to scientific publishing, described below.

Environmental Sciences Europe

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

They said: "Last week we had a very strange occurrence at the police station when a male wanted for an offence on our area was 'escorted' into our helpdesk at Trafalgar House by Batman.

BBC

Settle in and stay aware, making note of any strange occurrences.

WikiHow

So, is there a climate connection to this strange occurrence?

Huffington Post

Another strange occurrence happened during a free afternoon when I made the poor decision of taking the Dearly Departed Tour, a bus excursion to locations around LA where infamous celebrity scandals and deaths took place.

Vice

I had been watching the Nets-Spurs game, in fact, when a friend called to tell me the strange occurrence that night at Yankee Stadium, little knowing the draining effect it had on my pocketbook.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing an event as "a strange occurrence", provide specific details to illustrate why it's considered strange. This helps the reader understand the context and significance of the event.

Common error

Avoid simply stating that something is "a strange occurrence" without elaborating. Provide context and details to make the strangeness apparent to the reader. Without specifics, the phrase can feel generic and uninformative.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a strange occurrence" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. Ludwig examples show it introducing unusual events or situations. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Wiki

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a strange occurrence" is a grammatically sound and usable phrase that functions as a noun phrase, commonly found in news and media, science, and wiki contexts. According to Ludwig AI, it is suitable for describing an unusual event or situation. While not overly frequent, it effectively introduces an element of the unexpected, prompting the need for further explanation. Related phrases include "an unusual incident" and "a peculiar event". Remember to provide specific details to illustrate the strangeness and avoid vague descriptions to maximize the impact of this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an unusual incident

Replaces "occurrence" with "incident" and "strange" with "unusual", slightly altering the emphasis.

a peculiar event

Substitutes "strange" with "peculiar" and "occurrence" with "event", changing the tone to suggest something odd or eccentric.

an odd happening

Uses "odd" instead of "strange" and "happening" instead of "occurrence", creating a more informal and casual expression.

a bizarre incident

Replaces "strange" with "bizarre", intensifying the sense of something unusual and unexpected.

a curious phenomenon

Substitutes "strange occurrence" with "curious phenomenon", suggesting a noteworthy or scientifically interesting event.

an anomalous situation

Replaces "strange occurrence" with "anomalous situation", formalizing the language and highlighting the irregularity of the event.

an inexplicable event

Uses "inexplicable" to emphasize that the event cannot be easily explained, differing from simply being strange.

an uncommon incident

Replaces "strange" with "uncommon", focusing on the infrequency rather than the peculiarity of the incident.

an atypical episode

Substitutes "strange occurrence" with "atypical episode", emphasizing the deviation from the norm in a more narrative context.

a remarkable incident

Replaces "strange" with "remarkable" focusing on the noteworthiness of the incident, rather than its strangeness.

FAQs

How can I use "a strange occurrence" in a sentence?

You can use "a strange occurrence" to introduce an unusual event. For example, "A strange occurrence took place last night, baffling the entire town."

What can I say instead of "a strange occurrence"?

You can use alternatives like "an unusual incident", "a peculiar event", or "an odd happening" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "a strange occurrence" or "a strange phenomena"?

"A strange occurrence" is generally used for a single event, while "a strange phenomenon" refers to something observable that is unusual and difficult to explain. Phenomena is the plural of phenomenon. Also be aware that "a strange phenomena" is ungrammatical.

What is the difference between "a strange occurrence" and "a bizarre occurrence"?

"A strange occurrence" is a general term for something unusual. "A bizarre occurrence" implies something strikingly odd or grotesque.