How to use "during the later hours of the day"

What Does "during the later hours of the day" Mean?

What it expresses: time
What part of the sentence it typically modifies: verb, whole clause
Register: neutral to slightly formal

How to Use It

Typical sentence positions: final is most natural, but initial is also possible for emphasis. Mid-sentence placement is less common.
What it modifies and how it changes the meaning of a sentence: It modifies a verb or clause, specifying the timeframe of an action or state. It adds detail beyond simply 'evening' or 'night'.
Grammatical flexibility: It can be fronted for emphasis. It's generally not used with negation directly. It's possible to use it in questions, but it's not very common.
What sounds unnatural or incorrect: Overusing the phrase, especially in informal contexts, can sound stilted. Using it in place of simpler expressions when unnecessary.

Real-World Examples

These examples are sourced from during the later hours of the day on Ludwig.guru.

"Green Ibis also use an open wing foraging behavior during the later hours of the day in which the bird opens and closes one or both wings before resuming probes (Ogden and Thomas 1985)." — Cornell University

"For example, the best time of day for performance of an evening type is shifted towards the later hours of the day in comparison to a morning type." — British Journal of Psychiatry

"In terms of examining the links between victim age and the timing and context of the onset sexual abuse incident we first examined whether older children would be more likely than younger children to be sexually abused: 1. by someone outside the family and during later hours of the day, and. 2. outside a residential (i.e., domestic) setting and during later hours of the day." — Crime Science

"If you try it for some time, you might want that you can get so much more done in the early morning hours that you ever would during the later parts of the day." — Huffington Post

"As pain experience over subsequent hours may be affected by the time of day of recruitment (those starting the trial later in the day would be scoring their pain during night hours when they may spend a greater proportion of time asleep), randomisation was stratified by time of the first recorded pain score (morning or afternoon/evening), as well as by recruitment centre." — British Medical Journal

Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/during+the+later+hours+of+the+day

Similar Phrases and Alternatives

Phrase	Context
late in the day	More concise and common alternative.
in the evening	Simpler, more informal.
at night	General term for nighttime.
during the night	Similar in meaning, slightly more formal.
towards the end of the day	Emphasizes the approach of the day's end.
as the day progresses	Indicates a gradual shift.
in the twilight hours	More poetic, refers to dusk.

Common Mistakes

Using "during the later hours of the day" in very informal situations can sound overly formal.
Incorrectly placing it mid-sentence, disrupting the flow of the sentence.
Learners sometimes use the phrase in a formal context when a simpler expression like 'in the evening' or 'at night' would be more appropriate.

Quick-Reference Summary

Expression	Function	Register	Typical Position
during the later hours of the day	adverbial phrase of time	neutral to slightly formal	final, but can be initial for emphasis

FAQs

Where does "during the later hours of the day" typically appear in a sentence?

During the later hours of the day most naturally appears at the end of a sentence. It can also be placed at the beginning for emphasis, but this is less common. Mid-sentence placement can sound awkward.

How does "during the later hours of the day" differ from simply saying "in the evening" or "at night"?

"During the later hours of the day" is more specific and often more formal than "in the evening" or "at night". It emphasizes a time frame within the broader period of evening or night, suggesting a gradual progression or a specific portion of that time.

Is it always appropriate to use "during the later hours of the day", or are there times when a simpler phrase is better?

While grammatically correct in many contexts, using "during the later hours of the day" in very casual conversations can sound overly formal. In such situations, opting for simpler alternatives like "in the evening" or "at night" often results in a more natural and appropriate tone.

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