task on the fly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "task on the fly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe performing a task or making decisions quickly and without prior planning, often in response to immediate needs or circumstances. Example: "During the meeting, we had to come up with a solution to the problem on the fly, as time was of the essence."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

olex2.refine performs this task on the fly, while passing Miller triplets to the code computing structure factors and their derivatives.

Acta Crystallographica Section A: Foundations and Advances

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Rather than being principally directed by student's beliefs prior to, or when they begin a writing task, the on-the-fly interactions they have during the writing task may best explain their tendency toward plagiarism.

Computers & Education

Evaluations are performed for (i) an in-car extended digit recognition task, where an on-the-fly BISN implementation reduces the relative word error rate (WER) by 24%, and (ii) for a diverse noisy speech task (SPINE 2), where the relative WER improvement was 9%, both relative to the baseline speaker normalization method.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Table 3 WERs for CU-Move task with offline and on-the-fly BISN.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Supporting MapReduce requires fundamental changes on existing algorithms, and the introduction of on-the-fly task creation.

Journal of Internet Services and Applications

The need for top and bottom line growth, and the scrutiny of public markets, does not make changing your business model on-the-fly the easiest task.

TechCrunch

Big tasks will be shared in grids of machines perhaps thousands of miles apart, assembled on-the-fly for a job.

Forbes

Big tasks will be shared in grids of machines perhaps thousands of kilometers apart, assembled on-the-fly for a job.

Forbes

On-the-fly composition of service-based software solutions is still a challenging task.

Journal of Internet Services and Applications

Since the proposed architecture is designed for on-the-fly term spotting, some of the techniques herein could be used in the spoken term detection task as well.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Finally, a configuration for on-the-fly implementation of this built-in speaker normalization (BISN) algorithm is proposed for an in-car speech recognition task which reduces the word error rate (WER) 24% relative to the baseline PMVDR-based system.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "task on the fly" when you want to emphasize the improvisational and reactive nature of handling a task. This phrase is most suitable when the situation demands immediate action without the luxury of prior planning.

Common error

While "task on the fly" is understandable, avoid using it in highly formal or academic writing. Opt for more sophisticated alternatives like “improvise a task” or “handle a task spontaneously”/s/improvise+a+task.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "task on the fly" functions as an adverbial modifier, describing how a task is performed. It indicates that the task is executed spontaneously, without prior planning, or preparation. As noted by Ludwig AI, this implies responding to immediate circumstances.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "task on the fly" describes performing a task spontaneously and without prior planning. While grammatically correct, it's relatively rare, according to Ludwig AI. It's used across various contexts, including science and news media, but is most suitable for informal or neutral settings. For more formal writing, consider using synonyms like "improvise a task" or "handle a task spontaneously".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

improvise a task

Focuses on the act of creating or performing without prior planning.

handle a task spontaneously

Emphasizes the impromptu and unplanned nature of managing the task.

address a task extemporaneously

Highlights the lack of preparation and reliance on immediate inspiration to solve it.

execute a task ad-lib

Relates to performing a task without a script or pre-defined method.

perform a task off the cuff

Implies doing something without thinking about it much beforehand.

tackle a task impromptu

Stresses the sudden and unexpected nature of dealing with the task.

undertake a task instinctively

Emphasizes relying on intuition rather than planned action.

wing a task

A more informal way of saying to improvise or perform without practice.

make it up as you go along

Describes the process of figuring something out during the action.

play it by ear

Suggests making decisions based on the current situation and unfolding events.

FAQs

What does "task on the fly" mean?

The phrase "task on the fly" means to perform a task or make a decision quickly and without any prior planning or preparation. It implies reacting to immediate circumstances and improvising a solution.

How can I use "task on the fly" in a sentence?

You can use "task on the fly" in sentences like: "During the presentation, we had to create some slides on the fly", or "The software allows users to generate reports on the fly".

What are some alternatives to "task on the fly"?

Alternatives include "improvise a task", "handle a task spontaneously", or "execute a task ad-lib", depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "task on the fly" in formal writing?

While understandable, "task on the fly" may sound too informal for academic or professional contexts. Consider using alternatives that convey a similar meaning with a more sophisticated tone, like "address a task extemporaneously".