at instances when

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "at instances when" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to specific moments or situations in which something occurs or is applicable. Example: "At instances when the weather is severe, we will cancel the outdoor event for safety reasons."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Interface aggregate rate limiting improves fairness in Figure 5c, though some flows still experience short-term unfairness at instances when other aggressive flows have built up a large TCP congestion window.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

There have been moments when Haiti seemed poised for a turnaround, or at least instances when leaders appeared to put the interests of the nation over their own.

Los Angeles Times

Yet there were at least two instances when the Army of Tennessee should have achieved a significant victory, but failed for mysterious reasons.

The New York Times

The researchers found that the depressed individuals were much better at identifying those instances when they had little control over the outcomes, while the non-depressed students tended to overestimate their degree of influence over the light.

The New Yorker

Figure 10 Particle cloud representation of a multimodal position estimation scenario (two particles clouds) using a PF-based estimator at different time instances when our proper maps-based motion model is used.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

It was an enlightenment that could also never be content with how things were in the present moment, even at those rare instances when everything seems like it couldn't be more perfect.

Huffington Post

While the Chopped sob story does seem to have reached an annoying peak as of late, there have been at least some instances when they've been truly heartwarming.

Vice

Tremor phase sampled at the time instances when a DBS pulse was delivered (Fig. 1C E) was divided into 21 phase bins of duration 0.3 radians.

Brain

Senate veterans recall at least two recent instances when the Senate was in session during the Fourth of July.

The New York Times

I've written critically at least twice about instances when The Times, in my opinion, did not follow ideal transparency practices in making changes to articles, then archiving those articles.

The New York Times

Respondents who recalled times when they'd proactively helped coworkers reported having less clarity on the issues at hand than those describing instances when they'd reactively helped.

Harvard Business Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "at instances when" to denote specific points in time where a condition or event occurs. This phrase works well in technical or formal writing requiring precision.

Common error

Avoid using "at instances when" in casual conversation or informal writing. Simpler alternatives like "when" or "sometimes" are often more appropriate and sound more natural.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "at instances when" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause by specifying the time or condition under which an action occurs. It provides temporal context, indicating specific moments when something is valid or applicable, as confirmed by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "at instances when" serves to specify particular moments or situations where an event or condition applies. As Ludwig AI pointed out, the phrase is grammatically correct but occurs relatively infrequently. While suitable for formal and technical writing, it's best to avoid using the phrase in more casual settings where simpler alternatives may sound more natural. The primary sources where this expression appear are science and media, suggesting it fits contexts requiring precision and accuracy. Consider alternatives like "in situations where" or "during times when" to maintain clarity while varying your phrasing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in situations where

Replaces "instances" with "situations", offering a more general alternative.

during times when

Substitutes "at instances" with "during times", focusing on a period rather than a specific event.

in cases when

Uses "cases" instead of "instances", implying a more formal or legal context.

on occasions when

Replaces "instances" with "occasions", suggesting less frequent occurrences.

at moments when

Substitutes "instances" with "moments", emphasizing brief periods of time.

when there are instances of

Restructures the sentence to highlight the existence of instances.

in circumstances where

Uses "circumstances" instead of "instances", implying a broader context.

upon events when

Replaces "at instances" with "upon events", focusing on specific happenings.

at junctures when

Substitutes "instances" with "junctures", suggesting critical points in time.

in the event that

Offers a more concise and conditional alternative to the original phrase.

FAQs

What does "at instances when" mean?

The phrase "at instances when" refers to specific moments or situations in which something happens or is true. It's used to pinpoint particular occurrences.

How can I use "at instances when" in a sentence?

You can use "at instances when" to introduce a specific situation or time frame within a broader context. For example, "At instances when the system detects an anomaly, it will automatically trigger an alert."

Which is a better phrase, "in cases when" or "at instances when"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct. "In cases when" is generally more common and might sound more natural in some contexts. "At instances when" can be used to emphasize specific occurrences.

What are some alternatives to "at instances when"?

Some alternatives include "in situations where", "during times when", or "on occasions when", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.