a whole time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a whole time" is not correct and is not commonly used in written English.
It may be intended to express the idea of a complete duration or period, but it is not standard phrasing. Example: "I spent a whole time working on that project" would be better phrased as "I spent a long time working on that project."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

And there was a whole time when I wouldn't have uttered the words: 'My parents are Jamaican.' At 15, I was ashamed of it.

The Guardian

High-order accurate Navier Stokes solutions are obtained in the current scheme by integrating the numerical fluxes along a cell interface and over a whole time step, without using the conventional Gaussian point integration for spatial accuracy and Runge Kutta method for temporal accuracy.

Journal of Computational Physics

"The call-out time from receiving an alert to hitting the streets was 45 seconds for a whole time crew and five minutes for a retained station.

BBC

I feel like it was a harbinger of a whole time of decentralization.

Huffington Post

A whole time management and productivity market has evolved in recent years to help deal with our modern obsession with busy.

Huffington Post

Critical sustained running speed was determined as Ucrit = Uf+[ tf/ti Ui], where Uf is the greatest running speed maintained for a whole time interval, tf is time spent at the final speed, ti is the time interval between speed increments and Ui is the speed increment [53].

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

To this end, a whole time-domain method and a sequential method are used and evaluated.

International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer

SFX utilizes piecewise transformation that partitions a whole time-series into segments and statistics features are extracted subsequently from each piece.

BioMed Research International

"Reviewing," Connolly writes with the experience of a lifetime behind him, "is a whole-time job with a half-time salary," a job in which the best of a writer "is generally expended on the mediocre in others".

The New York Times - Books

Cyril Connolly caustically described the book reviewer as having "a whole-time job with a half-time salary," a job "in which the best in him is generally expended on the mediocre in others". Today, it's more of a part-time job with no salary.

The New York Times

My interview was over a pint in the pub with the station commander and a whole-time officer.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "a whole time" in formal writing. Opt for more standard alternatives like "a long time" or "the entire time" for clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Writers often use "a whole time" when they actually mean "a long time" or "the whole time". Always double-check that your intended meaning aligns with standard English phrasing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a whole time" functions as a temporal expression, attempting to denote a duration or period. However, it is not a standard or grammatically sound construction. As noted by Ludwig AI, it's better to use alternative phrases.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "a whole time" appears in various sources, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests that it's more appropriate to use alternatives like "a long time" or "the entire time" for better clarity and correctness. It's crucial to consider context and aim for standard English phrasing, especially in formal writing. The expert rating reflects the phrase's grammatical issues and inconsistent usage. Therefore, it is best to avoid the use of "a whole time" and opt for grammatically sound alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a long time

Replaces "whole" with "long" to denote an extended duration; a more common phrasing.

an entire time

Substitutes "whole" with "entire" for emphasis on the completeness of the period.

the entire duration

Rephrases to explicitly mention "duration" instead of "time", clarifying the intended meaning.

a complete period

Uses "complete period" to highlight the end-to-end nature of the time frame.

a full period

Replaces "whole" with "full", another synonym indicating completeness.

throughout the time

Focuses on something happening consistently during the specified period.

during the whole period

Emphasizes that an event or condition persists for the entire duration.

for the entire length

Highlights the length of the period, suggesting an extended duration.

during that time

Shortens the phrase while still referring to a specific period under discussion.

the whole while

Uses an alternative form of the word 'time' for the duration.

FAQs

What's a more appropriate way to say "a whole time"?

Instead of "a whole time", consider using phrases like "a long time", "the entire time", or simply "the whole time" depending on your intended meaning.

Is "a whole time" grammatically correct?

While you might encounter "a whole time" in some contexts, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect. Standard English offers better alternatives like "the entire time" or "a long time".

How can I use "the whole time" correctly in a sentence?

Use "the whole time" to indicate that something happens continuously throughout a specific period. For example, "I was nervous the whole time during the presentation."

What is the difference between "a whole time" and "the whole time"?

"A whole time" is generally not considered correct. "The whole time" refers to the entire duration of an event or activity. For instance, "She was smiling the whole time" means she smiled continuously throughout the event.