a regular smoking

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a regular smoking" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used to describe a habitual action or behavior related to smoking, but the phrasing is awkward and unclear. Example: "He is a regular smoker who lights up several times a day."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

One recent study suggests that a stressful marriage can be as bad for the heart as a regular smoking habit.

The New York Times

The UCSF team estimated that drinking a 20-ounce serving of soda every day would correspond to 4.6 years of premature cellular aging — an effect they likened to the result of a regular smoking habit.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Smoking cessation efforts among the Australian community have led to a decline in smoking prevalence from a high of 72% of men and 26% of women in 1945 to a current regular smoking rate of 22% in men and 18% in women [ 1, 2].

BMC Public Health

Smokers had a history of regular smoking for at least 5 years, typically smoked 10 to 30 cigarettes per day (CPD) at study entry and could not be on smoking cessation medication, all as required by the trial protocol [ 16].

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Health survey for England data indicate that in 2007, around 22% of children aged from four to 15 years lived in a household in which someone smokes (defined as the proportion of children who did not live in a smoke-free home, where a smoke-free home was defined as living in a home without regular smoking indoors) [ 6].

BMC Public Health

"I've not experienced any of the negative side effects of cannabis smoking since dedicating my regimen to vaporization," Mark tells me, before listing a number of regular smoking side-effects, like chronic coughing, wheezing, and coughing up phlegm.

Vice

Never smokers were defined as having smoked between one and 100 cigarettes in their life-time without developing a pattern of regular smoking.

Addiction

Smoking status was measured with a variable describing current regular smoking (current/never/ex-smoker). High alcohol intake was present with a weekly self-reported consumption of beer, wine, and spirits exceeding ≥175 g of alcohol for women and ≥263 g of alcohol for men.

BMJ Open

Response to this item was used as a binary indicator of regular smoking.

British Medical Journal

Smoking was assessed by the question "How many cigarettes, cigars or pipefuls do you smoke per day?" Smoking at least once a day was dichotomised as regular smoking.

BMJ Open

Last year Heigl told Parade how she replaced regular smoking with an e-cig habit when she became a mom.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "a regular smoking". Instead, opt for clearer and more grammatically correct alternatives such as "habitual smoking", "frequent smoking", or "regular smoker" to describe the act or the person.

Common error

Do not use "regular" directly to modify "smoking" in the same way you would modify "smoker". "Regular" typically describes the person ("regular smoker") or modifies the verb ("smoking regularly"), not the act itself in the phrasing "a regular smoking".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a regular smoking" functions as a noun phrase attempting to describe the act of smoking. However, as Ludwig AI indicates, the phrasing is grammatically awkward and not considered standard English. The intended function is to denote habitual or frequent smoking behavior.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a regular smoking" is considered grammatically awkward and not standard English, as highlighted by Ludwig AI. While it appears in a limited number of contexts, primarily in news and scientific articles, it's recommended to avoid this phrasing in favor of clearer alternatives like "habitual smoking", "frequent smoking", or "regular smoker". These alternatives provide more precise and grammatically sound ways to describe the act of smoking or the person who smokes habitually. This ensures better clarity and professionalism in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

habitual smoking

Emphasizes the habitual nature of the smoking behavior.

frequent smoking

Highlights the frequency with which someone smokes.

regular smoker

Refers to a person who smokes habitually.

heavy smoking

Indicates a high volume or intensity of smoking.

consistent smoking

Stresses the consistency of the smoking behavior over time.

daily smoking

Specifies that smoking occurs every day.

smoking regularly

Uses an adverb to describe the action of smoking.

established smoking habit

Highlights the fact that smoking has become a habit.

long-term smoking

Focuses on the duration of the smoking habit.

persistent smoking

Highlights the continuing nature of the smoking behavior.

FAQs

What are some correct ways to describe habitual smoking?

Instead of "a regular smoking", consider using phrases like "habitual smoking", "frequent smoking", or referring to someone as a "regular smoker".

Is "a regular smoking" grammatically correct?

No, "a regular smoking" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to rephrase it for clarity and accuracy.

What's the difference between "regular smoker" and "a regular smoking"?

"Regular smoker" refers to a person who smokes habitually, while "a regular smoking" is an incorrect way to describe the act of smoking itself. It is better to use "habitual smoking" or "frequent smoking" instead.

Can I use "regular smoking" in formal writing?

While "regular smoking" is understandable, it may be perceived as awkward. Opt for more precise and common alternatives like "habitual smoking" or describe someone as a "regular smoker" particularly in formal writing.