first half of year

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "first half of year" is not entirely correct in written English; it should be "first half of the year." You can use it when referring to the initial six months of a calendar year or fiscal year.
Example: "The company's profits increased significantly in the first half of the year."

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

The academic markers used were the average marks for Year 1, Year 2, Part I (the combined average of Years 1 and 2), Part II (the Honours course in the first half of Year 3), and separate knowledge and skills marks for each of the three parts of the clinical course (Clinical Practice (CP 1, undertaken in the second half of the third year, CP2 in the fourth year and CP3 in the fifth year).

BMC Medical Education

The performances, of both detectors and electronics, measured with dedicated test tools and cosmic rays during the commissioning runs carried out in the first half of year 2008 will be reported.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

Sum grew 32% in first half of year.

Forbes

Intervention sessions will commence in the last quarter of Year 1 and continue during the first half of Year 2. Three and six month follow-up assessments will be conducted in Year 2. Twelve-month follow-up assessments will be conducted in Year 3. Quarters 3 4 of Year 3 will involve data synthesis, analysis, write-up and dissemination.

BMC Infectious Diseases

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Data from the previous registration year are collected in the first half of the year.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

In the first half of the year, cryptosporidiosis was significantly reduced (p<0.05) every year since 2000.

Emerging Infectious Diseases

First half of the year?

The Guardian

"The first half of the year was kind of easy.

The New York Times - Arts

Profit fell 1.5% in the first half of the year.

The Guardian - Business

In other words, the former covers the first half of First Year Japanese I, and the latter covers the second half.

Columbia University

Individualized career counseling meeting in first half of the year with an advisory dean.

Columbia University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about specific financial results, consider specifying the exact months (e.g., "January to June") to provide greater clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "first half of year" when a more precise timeframe (e.g., a specific fiscal quarter) is more appropriate or required by the context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "first half of year" functions as a temporal specifier, indicating a period of time within a calendar or fiscal year. It's used to narrow down events, results, or activities to the initial six months. Ludwig highlights various contexts where this phrase is applicable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Science

31%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "first half of year" is a commonly used, though not always grammatically precise, way to refer to the period between January and June. Ludwig's analysis shows that while acceptable, the phrase is most frequently found in news and media contexts. More formal situations might call for specifying "first six months of "the year"" or explicitly stating the months (January to June). According to Ludwig AI, though generally neutral, the phrase's lack of specificity may be a pitfall. The examples pulled by Ludwig highlight the importance of choosing the appropriate level of precision, depending on the audience and purpose of the communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the year's first half

Slightly different word order but conveys identical meaning.

first six months of the year

Replaces "half" with a specific duration, making it more explicit.

January to June

Specifies the exact months covered in the first half.

initial six months of the year

Uses "initial" as a synonym for "first", maintaining the meaning.

first semester

Applicable in academic contexts, replacing "half of year" with "semester".

first portion of the year

Uses "portion" instead of "half", slightly less common.

early part of the year

More general, referring to the beginning of the year without specifying six months.

opening half of the year

Replaces "first" with "opening", conveying the same idea.

first two quarters

Refers to the first and second fiscal quarters of the year.

before July

Indicates the time leading up to July, loosely defining the first half of the year.

FAQs

How can I use "first half of year" in a sentence?

You can use "first half of year" to refer to the period from January to June. For example, "The company's profits increased during the first half of the year."

What's a more specific alternative to "first half of year"?

If you need to be more precise, consider using phrases like "first six months of the year" or specifying the months directly, such as "January to June".

Is it grammatically correct to say "first half of year"?

While commonly used, the more grammatically correct version is "first half of "the year"". The inclusion of "the" provides better clarity.

What is the difference between "first half of year" and "second half of year"?

"First half of year" refers to the period from January to June, while "second half of year" refers to the period from July to December.