in certain years

USAGE SUMMARY

'in certain years' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to particular years or years that have been specified. For example: "In certain years, taxes must be paid before the end of January."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

38 human-written examples

In certain properties in certain years, it can make or break the entire quarter".

The New York Times

"But what we still don't know is why are these hot spots hotter in certain years than others," Trainer said.

The Guardian

Since wild-card rivals will never play the same interleague schedule, the schedule is always going to be unfair for certain teams in certain years.

The New York Times

The company had granted such options since 1993, and put a premium of 200percentt on half of them in certain years.

The New York Times

"He's been wait-listed at one school and rejected at two others," she explained, chalking the situation up to the "very, very few spots available in certain years for certain sexes" and for children who do not already have a sibling enrolled.

The New York Times

In the dependent variable, there is missing data for some country pairs in certain years.

Journal of Economic Structures

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

19 human-written examples

Since many sub-processes critical to regeneration success depend on weather conditions, it is impossible to predict the exact amount of regeneration in a certain year in the future, even when there are plenty of empirical regeneration data to fit models.

Forest Ecosystems

The dairy output was aggregated into one category (Y), which represents the value of sheep cheeses (and by-products) produced by each firm in a certain year (measured in Euros).

Agricultural and Food Economics

The number of men and women in Wikipedia that are born in a certain year.

EPJ Data Science

We conducted parentage assignments to investigate which new individuals in a certain year were offspring from individuals that had been sampled in preceding years to assess source-sink-dynamics and migration (cf. Peery et al. 2008).

Behavioral Ecology

From the written logs kept, we can get an idea of the types, numbers and valuation of goods traded during certain years in this region.

Smart Learning Environments

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "in certain years", ensure the context clarifies which years are being referred to, either explicitly or implicitly, to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "in certain years" without providing context about which years are being referenced. This can confuse the reader. Instead, specify the relevant timeframe or condition that makes those years distinct.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "in certain years" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause by specifying the time frame in which an action or situation occurs. It indicates that something happens selectively or variably across different years. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

7%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "in certain years" is a common and grammatically correct adverbial phrase used to indicate that something occurs only during some years, not consistently. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's appropriate for various contexts, with particular prevalence in scientific and news-related content. When using this phrase, ensure that the specific years or conditions are clear to avoid ambiguity. Alternatives such as "during some years" or "in specific years" can provide subtle variations in emphasis. Remember to provide enough context to ensure clarity for your reader.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

during some years

This alternative replaces "certain" with "some", slightly softening the specificity of the years in question.

in specific years

This alternative emphasizes the particularity of the years being referred to, similar to the original phrase.

during particular years

Replaces "certain" with "particular", highlighting the distinctiveness of the years.

in select years

Using "select" implies a deliberate choice or distinction among the years.

in given years

"Given" suggests that the years are predetermined or specified in a context.

in some years

This option reduces the emphasis on specificity, indicating that the event happens occasionally.

during a few years

This phrase uses "a few" to indicate a small number of years when something occurs.

in occasional years

Highlights that the event happens sporadically, not consistently.

at times

This more general phrase indicates that something happens sometimes, without specifying years.

periodically

This adverb indicates that something happens at intervals, not necessarily annually.

FAQs

How can I use "in certain years" in a sentence?

Use "in certain years" to indicate that something occurs or is true only during some years, not consistently every year. For example: "In certain years, the river floods the nearby fields."

What's a more specific alternative to "in certain years"?

For more specificity, you could use phrases like "in specific years" or "during particular years" to emphasize that you're referring to distinct, identifiable years.

Is it better to say "in certain years" or "in some years"?

The choice depends on the context. "In certain years" implies a known or definable set of years, while "in some years" suggests an unspecified, occasional occurrence.

What is the difference between "in certain years" and "in recent years"?

"In certain years" refers to specific, though perhaps not explicitly stated, years where a condition is met. "In recent years", on the other hand, refers to the years that have occurred closest to the present.