diff --git a/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPrivate.qll b/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPrivate.qll
index 986197bb0cee..7767b644cbd5 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPrivate.qll
+++ b/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPrivate.qll
@@ -219,15 +219,13 @@ class DataFlowExpr = Expr;
 class DataFlowType = Type;
 
 /** A function call relevant for data flow. */
-class DataFlowCall extends Expr {
-  DataFlowCall() { this instanceof Call }
-
+class DataFlowCall extends Expr instanceof Call {
   /**
    * Gets the nth argument for this call.
    *
    * The range of `n` is from `0` to `getNumberOfArguments() - 1`.
    */
-  Expr getArgument(int n) { result = this.(Call).getArgument(n) }
+  Expr getArgument(int n) { result = super.getArgument(n) }
 
   /** Gets the data flow node corresponding to this call. */
   ExprNode getNode() { result.getExpr() = this }
diff --git a/cpp/ql/src/AlertSuppression.ql b/cpp/ql/src/AlertSuppression.ql
index 7239398e8c11..9a3983ed515d 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/src/AlertSuppression.ql
+++ b/cpp/ql/src/AlertSuppression.ql
@@ -60,9 +60,7 @@ class SuppressionComment extends Comment {
 /**
  * The scope of an alert suppression comment.
  */
-class SuppressionScope extends ElementBase {
-  SuppressionScope() { this instanceof SuppressionComment }
-
+class SuppressionScope extends ElementBase instanceof SuppressionComment {
   /**
    * Holds if this element is at the specified location.
    * The location spans column `startcolumn` of line `startline` to
@@ -73,7 +71,7 @@ class SuppressionScope extends ElementBase {
   predicate hasLocationInfo(
     string filepath, int startline, int startcolumn, int endline, int endcolumn
   ) {
-    this.(SuppressionComment).covers(filepath, startline, startcolumn, endline, endcolumn)
+    super.covers(filepath, startline, startcolumn, endline, endcolumn)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPrivate.qll b/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPrivate.qll
index d75afd20b6ca..6776025d1721 100644
--- a/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPrivate.qll
+++ b/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPrivate.qll
@@ -940,13 +940,9 @@ private module ParameterNodes {
 import ParameterNodes
 
 /** A data-flow node that represents a call argument. */
-class ArgumentNode extends Node {
-  ArgumentNode() { this instanceof ArgumentNodeImpl }
-
+class ArgumentNode extends Node instanceof ArgumentNodeImpl {
   /** Holds if this argument occurs at the given position in the given call. */
-  final predicate argumentOf(DataFlowCall call, int pos) {
-    this.(ArgumentNodeImpl).argumentOf(call, pos)
-  }
+  final predicate argumentOf(DataFlowCall call, int pos) { super.argumentOf(call, pos) }
 }
 
 abstract private class ArgumentNodeImpl extends Node {
diff --git a/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPublic.qll b/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPublic.qll
index 562869039516..fa99d518bbdb 100644
--- a/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPublic.qll
+++ b/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/dataflow/internal/DataFlowPublic.qll
@@ -98,9 +98,7 @@ class ExprNode extends Node, TExprNode_ {
  * The value of a parameter at function entry, viewed as a node in a data
  * flow graph.
  */
-class ParameterNode extends Node {
-  ParameterNode() { this instanceof ParameterNodeImpl }
-
+class ParameterNode extends Node instanceof ParameterNodeImpl {
   /** Gets the parameter corresponding to this node, if any. */
   DotNet::Parameter getParameter() {
     exists(DataFlowCallable c, int i | this.isParameterOf(c, i) and result = c.getParameter(i))
@@ -110,9 +108,7 @@ class ParameterNode extends Node {
    * Holds if this node is the parameter of callable `c` at the specified
    * (zero-based) position.
    */
-  predicate isParameterOf(DataFlowCallable c, int i) {
-    this.(ParameterNodeImpl).isParameterOf(c, i)
-  }
+  predicate isParameterOf(DataFlowCallable c, int i) { super.isParameterOf(c, i) }
 }
 
 /** A definition, viewed as a node in a data flow graph. */
diff --git a/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/dataflow/internal/rangeanalysis/RangeUtils.qll b/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/dataflow/internal/rangeanalysis/RangeUtils.qll
index 2f8e93a4b750..f007ba939e8f 100644
--- a/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/dataflow/internal/rangeanalysis/RangeUtils.qll
+++ b/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/dataflow/internal/rangeanalysis/RangeUtils.qll
@@ -89,14 +89,12 @@ private module Impl {
   }
 
   /** An expression whose value may control the execution of another element. */
-  class Guard extends Expr {
-    Guard() { this instanceof G::Guard }
-
+  class Guard extends Expr instanceof G::Guard {
     /**
      * Holds if basic block `bb` is guarded by this guard having value `v`.
      */
     predicate controlsBasicBlock(ControlFlow::BasicBlock bb, G::AbstractValue v) {
-      this.(G::Guard).controlsBasicBlock(bb, v)
+      super.controlsBasicBlock(bb, v)
     }
 
     /**
@@ -108,7 +106,7 @@ private module Impl {
       exists(Expr e1_, Expr e2_ |
         e1 = unique(ExprNode cfn | hasChild(this, e1_, _, cfn) | cfn) and
         e2 = unique(ExprNode cfn | hasChild(this, e2_, _, cfn) | cfn) and
-        this.(G::Guard).isEquality(e1_, e2_, polarity)
+        super.isEquality(e1_, e2_, polarity)
       )
     }
   }