proportion of the time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "proportion of the time" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the frequency or ratio of occurrences within a specific timeframe or context. Example: "The new policy was effective in reducing errors, as it improved accuracy for a significant proportion of the time."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

44 human-written examples

What proportion of the time should each family drive?

The New York Times - Magazine

Just as troubling is the tendency for capitalism to reabsorb a proportion of the time saved by productivity gains by creating more work.

The Guardian

It's a huge proportion of the time we have on this planet, and it impacts on so much more than just our bank balance: our health, our relationships, our aspirations.

The Guardian

Further analysis, involving data from 136 of the participants, revealed that longer screen time was linked to fewer hours of shut-eye and a lower proportion of the time in bed spent asleep.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

A remarkably large proportion of the time spent in gangi-dori was accounted for by non-sedentary activity in the snowfall season, with the median time spent there being 8.2 min/day.

Landscape and Urban Planning

The main benefit compared with a standard hybrid is that a plug-in hybrid can spend a far greater proportion of the time running in electric-only mode, which produces fewer tail-pipe emissions – just 59g/km, according to Toyota.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

16 human-written examples

"However, on-demand TV will increase as a proportion of the time-shifted total".

The Guardian - TV & Radio

where is the proportion of the times the judges agreed, and is the proportion of the times they would be expected to agree by chance.

Stanford University

Even without list mode data, this can be achieved by acquiring the SPECT as a gated dataset (i.e., with ECG trigger), and reconstruction of only a proportion of the time-bins.

EJNMMI Research

We have estimated the proportion of the time-trend in type 2 diabetes incidence in British men over 24 years that may be explained by increasing population adiposity levels.

Diabetes Care

So they moved both objects while the sound played and recorded the proportion of time the babies looked at each object.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing formally, use "proportion of the time" to convey a precise and quantifiable duration or frequency. This phrase is suitable for academic papers, reports, and technical documentation.

Common error

Avoid using "proportion of the time" when you have specific numerical data (e.g., percentages or exact hours). Instead, present the precise figures for greater clarity and impact. For instance, instead of saying 'A large "proportion of the time",' state '75% of the time'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "proportion of the time" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate frequency or duration. It specifies the extent to which an action or state occurs within a given period, as exemplified in Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

55%

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

3%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "proportion of the time" is a versatile phrase used to describe how often something occurs within a specific period. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and highlights its frequent use in scientific and news-related contexts. While alternatives like "percentage of the time" or "amount of time" exist, "proportion of the time" offers a general way to specify frequency, suitable for formal and neutral registers. When exact numerical data is available, using percentages is better, but using the phrase "proportion of the time" is appropriate when a general sense of how frequent something is good enough.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

percentage of the duration

Replaces "proportion" with "percentage" and "time" with "duration", focusing on a specific timeframe.

fraction of the period

Substitutes "proportion" with "fraction" and "time" with "period", suggesting a mathematical division of a specific timeframe.

share of the hours

Replaces "proportion" with "share" and "time" with "hours", making it more specific to hourly measurements.

ratio of time spent

Emphasizes the comparison of time allocated to an activity.

extent of the temporal allocation

Uses more formal language to describe the amount of time dedicated.

frequency of occurrence

Focuses on how often something happens, rather than the duration.

amount of time used

Highlights the quantity of time consumed by an action.

degree of temporal involvement

Emphasizes the level of participation within a timeframe.

incidence rate over time

Highlights how frequently something happens during a timeframe.

time-based distribution

Focuses on how events are spread across a period.

FAQs

How can I use "proportion of the time" in a sentence?

Use "proportion of the time" to describe how frequently something occurs within a specific timeframe. For example, "The machine operated at peak efficiency for a significant "proportion of the time"".

What phrases are similar to "proportion of the time"?

Alternatives include "percentage of the time", "fraction of the time", or "amount of time" depending on the context.

Is it better to use "proportion of the time" or a specific percentage?

Whenever possible, using a specific percentage offers more clarity and precision. However, "proportion of the time" is suitable when a general sense of frequency is sufficient or exact data is unavailable.

What's the difference between "proportion of the time" and "bulk of the time"?

"Proportion of the time" indicates a quantifiable amount, while "bulk of the time" implies the majority or largest part of the period.