how many instances

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "how many instances" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when inquiring about the number of occurrences or examples of something. Example: "Can you tell me how many instances of this issue have been reported?"

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

26 human-written examples

It did not say how many instances were involved.

The New York Times

In the current batch of cases, doctors became suspicious after noting how many instances involved patients wearing soft lenses who had no obvious exposure to the fungus.

The New York Times

In how many instances have the real criminals been ignored by the authorities, and thus allowed to remain free and prey on others?

The New York Times

I sent a freedom of information request to police forces asking in how many instances they could confirm CPS approval had been sought for cautions issued for penetrative sexual assault on an adult female.

The Guardian - Opinion

This paper focuses on adaptively determining how many instances to present to the simulation tool for creating accurate models.

Microprocessors and Microsystems

Precision can be defined as a measure of exactness i.e. if all the predicted labels for a given class X is given, how many instances were correctly classified.

European Transport Research Review

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

32 human-written examples

Equation 1 measures how many instance labels are the same in the neighborhood of X u via feature X p. The value of U (X p u | Y ) varies from 0 to 1. High U (X p u | Y ) means the corresponding instance has more neighbors with the same class.

BMC Medical Genomics

Kelly Wilkerson Davis, Calif., March 14 , 2011• To the Editor: Anne-Marie Slaughter argues for intervention in Libya, but there is a strong reason to stay out of the fighting: If the United States becomes involved in that country's push for democracy, in how many other instances will we then be expected to participate?

The New York Times

In many other cases a DEF user may not know how many worker instances are available when his job will be executed.

Journal of Cloud Computing

We counted how many such instances occurred for each strain within the 14 studied bacterial species.

Genome Biology and Evolution

For example, the rule describes a reaction from A 0) to A(1) under the condition that A encloses at least one species C. Please note, this rule may also match species where A 0) contains further species in addition to the C (no matter which and how many), for instance like in the previous example.

BMC Systems Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When asking "how many instances", be specific about what you are counting. Clearly define the criteria for an "instance" to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "how many instances" without a clear scope. Vague queries like "how many instances of problems are there?" can be too broad. Instead, specify what kind of problems you're referring to.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how many instances" functions as an interrogative phrase used to inquire about the quantity or number of times something occurs. It's commonly used in various contexts to quantify specific events, occurrences, or data points as shown by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

44%

News & Media

44%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "how many instances" is a common and grammatically correct interrogative phrase used to inquire about the number of times something occurs. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's widely used in diverse contexts such as news, science, and general discourse. To ensure clarity, specify the criteria for what constitutes an "instance". While synonyms like "number of occurrences" or "how often does it happen" can be used, "how many instances" is versatile and appropriate for various situations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

what number of occurrences

Replaces 'how many' with 'what number of', emphasizing the numerical quantity.

in what number of cases

Substitutes 'instances' with 'cases', focusing on specific situations or events.

how often does it happen

Shifts the focus to frequency rather than the specific count of instances.

to what extent does it occur

Emphasizes the degree or scale of occurrence rather than a precise number.

what is the frequency of

Focuses on the rate at which something happens, rather than the total number of instances.

how numerous are the situations

Replaces "instances" with "situations", focusing on occurrences of events.

what is the incidence of

Focuses on the rate of new occurrences of a specific event or condition.

how prevalent is the phenomenon

Emphasizes the widespread nature of an event or observation.

what is the tally of events

Replaces "instances" with "events", framing the inquiry as a count of happenings.

what's the count of examples

Replaces "instances" with "examples", which can be more appropriate depending on context.

FAQs

How can I use "how many instances" in a sentence?

You can use "how many instances" to ask about the number of times something occurs, like: "How many instances of fraud were reported?". Other options include asking about "number of occurrences" or "frequency of".

What's the difference between "how many instances" and "how many cases"?

While similar, "how many instances" often refers to a broader range of occurrences, while "how many cases" usually refers to specific events or situations. The best choice depends on the context.

What can I say instead of "how many instances"?

Alternatives to "how many instances" include "what number of occurrences", "in what number of cases", or "how often does it happen", depending on the desired nuance.

Is it better to use "how many instances" or "how many times"?

"How many times" is generally used for actions or events that repeat, while "how many instances" can refer to a wider range of things, including abstract concepts. For example, "how many times did he call?" vs "how many instances of bias are there?". Consider also using the alternatives "to what extent does it occur" or "what is the frequency of".