half

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "half" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to half of a whole, such as in the sentence "I ate half of the pizza".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sports

Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

53 human-written examples

Five and a half!

The New York Times

But we'll know much more after the other side goes because arguments are often one-sided like this half way through.

The New York Times

"We lost the game in the first half".

The New York Times - Sports

The trouble is, I don't know which half".

The New York Times

But the prime minister failed to win the support of more than half of his 303 MPs after 136 Tories rejected the measure and around 40 Tory MPs either did not vote or actively abstained.

The Guardian

That flight is only about half the price ($186), despite its being more than double the distance.

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

7 human-written examples

Their resistance was even more admirable against Argentina, with Mora again making a couple of excellent stops before being beaten by a first-half penalty from Daniel Passarella.

The Guardian - Sport

Philadelphia got within 2-1 in the 36th minute with a goal by midfielder Vincent Nogueira, but the Revolution quickly responded after half-time as Nguyen scored his team-leading fifth goal.

The Guardian - Sport

Your son or daughter is applying for university half-way across the country, and they're wondering where they're going to live.

The Guardian

Speaking to the Guardian ahead of this week's half-yearly meeting of the World Bank in Washington DC, Kim said he had been impressed by the energy of the divestment campaigns on university campuses in the US, aimed at persuading investors to remove their funds from fossil fuel companies.

The Guardian

By half-past eight I think he had used David Cameron's name seven times – he isn't going to make independent ­decisions, but do what Cameron tells him.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

For formal writing, consider using "one-half" instead of "half" when expressing numerical values, especially at the beginning of a sentence.

Common error

Avoid using "halves" when referring to a single instance of "half". "Half" remains singular when describing a single portion. For example, say "half of the cake" instead of "halves of the cake" when referring to one divided cake.

Linguistic Context

The word "half" primarily functions as a noun, denoting one of two equal parts of something. It can also act as an adjective, modifying a noun (e.g., "half price"), an adverb, indicating a partial extent (e.g., "half asleep"), or a preposition (e.g., "half past three"). According to Ludwig AI, "half" is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Sport

12%

Business

8%

Less common in

Opinion

7%

Lifestyle

6%

Books

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the word "half" is a versatile term frequently used across diverse contexts. Functioning as a noun, adjective, adverb and preposition it is grammatically correct. Ludwig provides many examples of its usage, reinforcing its validity and widespread use in written English. Predominantly found in news and media, sports and business, "half" serves to quantify, divide, and indicate partial degrees. While generally neutral in register, it can be replaced with more formal options like "one-half" in specific settings. Common errors, like incorrect pluralization should be avoided for clarity and precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

one-half

A numerical representation of "half", commonly used in mathematical or formal writing.

fifty percent

Expresses "half" as a percentage, useful when quantifying proportions.

divided in two

Expresses the action of splitting something into "half".

fifty-fifty

Informal term indicating equal division, representing two "halves".

a portion

Indicates a part of a whole, similar to "half" but less specific about the exact amount.

split evenly

Implies dividing something into two equal "halves".

a moiety

A formal or technical term for "half", often used in scientific or legal contexts.

semi-

A prefix indicating "half" or partial, used to form words like "semicircle" or "semiconscious".

midpoint

Refers to the central point that divides something into two equal parts, related to "half" in the context of division.

partially

Indicates something is done to some extent, resembling a "half" effort or result.

FAQs

How do you use "half" in a sentence?

"Half" can be used as a noun, adjective, adverb or preposition. For example: "I ate "half the pizza" (adjective), "The class is "half empty" (adverb), or "half past three (preposition)."

What can I say instead of "half"?

You can use alternatives like "fifty percent", "a portion", or "one-half" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "half of the students is" or "half of the students are"?

The correct usage is "half of the students are" because "students" is plural, requiring a plural verb.

What's the difference between "half" and "part"?

"Half" refers to one of two equal portions of something, whereas "part" refers to any portion, which may not be equal.