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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
I sparsely
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "I sparsely" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to express something done infrequently or in small amounts, but it lacks context to be usable. Example: "I sparsely attend social events due to my busy schedule."
⚠ May contain grammatical issues
Alternative expressions(10)
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
60 human-written examples
A key insight explored in this work is that the loop-closing event inherently occurs sparsely, i.e., the image currently being taken matches with only a small subset (if any) of previous images.
Furthermore, type I error rates are inflated for study designs with a small number of patients and/or sparse sampling (i.e. the sparsely sampled cross-over study design) (10, 11).
Science
I saw a sparsely attended preview on Friday, when the official world premiere would have taken place had not bad weather, with frozen rain and black ice on the roads, stepped in.
News & Media
After a long walk through the ship's corridors, I find my sparsely decorated, windowless cabin.
News & Media
The majority of its neighbourhoods, in fact, showed values of PGA close to 0. Finally, Leeds seemed to be more sparsely built (i.e., more high values of PUL) and offer more historic properties (i.e., more high values of OAHP).
Science
We also note that when the networks are sparsely labeled (i.e., with 10 or 20% labeled data), (text {IDRN}_c) performs slightly better than IDRN.
Science
New experimental results and a correlation are presented for the simultaneous solubility of hydrogen (i.e., a sparsely soluble gas) and carbon dioxide (a well soluble gas) in the ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([hmim][Tf2N]) at temperatures between 293 K and 373 K and pressures up to about 9.2 MPa.
Science
But between the coasts, I-4 was a sparsely traveled highway through mile after mile of orange groves, small lakes, pine woods and prairie.
News & Media
There are a handful of so-called Super Angels like PRO Founders, Rocket Internet, Team Europe and maybe Atomico, investors in Europe are, how shall I put it… sparsely spread.
News & Media
In unweighted networks, it has been shown that subgraphs naturally segregate into two classes: highly abundant type I subgraphs, which are sparsely interconnected, and less abundant type II subgraphs, which are densely interconnected [ 33].
Science
MVB assumes that a small proportion of voxel activity patterns make a large contribution to decoding accuracy (i.e., information is sparsely coded).
Science
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
Avoid using the phrase "I sparsely". Instead, opt for adverbs like "rarely", "seldom", or "infrequently" to express actions done infrequently. For example, say "I rarely visit that part of town" instead of "I sparsely visit that part of town".
Common error
A common mistake is to directly translate the meaning of "sparse" (thinly distributed) into an adverbial form that doesn't exist or sound natural. Instead of trying to force "sparsely" into a sentence where it doesn't fit, choose a more appropriate adverb of frequency like "rarely" or "occasionally".
Source & Trust
60%
Authority and reliability
1/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The phrase "I sparsely" attempts to function as an adverbial modifier, indicating how often an action is performed. However, as Ludwig AI points out, it's grammatically incorrect. While "sparsely" exists as an adverb, using it directly after "I" is unconventional and doesn't create a clear or natural sentence.
Frequent in
Science
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News & Media
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Formal & Business
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Less common in
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News & Media
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Formal & Business
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Ludwig's WRAP-UP
In summary, the phrase "I sparsely" is considered grammatically incorrect and is not found in common usage. Ludwig AI's analysis confirms this, indicating it does not follow standard English grammar rules. To express the idea of doing something infrequently, it's recommended to use alternatives such as "I rarely", "I seldom", or "I infrequently". These options provide clarity and grammatical correctness, ensuring effective communication.
More alternative expressions(6)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
I rarely
Replaces "sparsely" with a more common and grammatically correct adverb indicating infrequent action.
I seldom
Similar to "rarely", this offers a slightly more formal way to express infrequent action.
I infrequently
A more formal alternative, emphasizing the lack of frequency.
I sparingly
Suggests using something in small amounts, carefully.
I hardly ever
A more conversational way to express something that almost never happens.
I barely
Indicates doing something only just enough or to a minimal extent.
I scarcely
A more formal synonym for "barely" or "hardly".
I occasionally
Indicates that something happens from time to time, but not often.
I sometimes
Similar to "occasionally", but perhaps suggesting a slightly higher frequency.
I lightly
Implies doing something with a gentle touch or to a small degree, focusing on the manner rather than frequency.
FAQs
Is "I sparsely" grammatically correct?
No, the phrase "I sparsely" is not grammatically correct. It's better to use adverbs like "rarely", "seldom", or "infrequently" to convey the intended meaning.
What can I say instead of "I sparsely"?
You can use alternatives like "I rarely", "I seldom", or "I infrequently" depending on the context.
Which is correct, "I sparsely" or "I rarely"?
""I rarely"" is the correct and more commonly used phrase. "I sparsely" is not considered grammatically sound.
How can I use adverbs of frequency correctly?
Adverbs of frequency (like rarely, seldom, infrequently) should be placed before the main verb (except with the verb "to be", where they go after). For example, "I rarely go to the cinema", not "I go rarely to the cinema".
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Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
60%
Authority and reliability
1/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested