alternate months

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "alternate months" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a regular schedule or pattern of something occurring on a monthly basis with a gap of a month in between. For example, "We will be meeting up every alternate month to discuss our progress."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

Physics talks are presented by division staff on the first Thursday of alternate months.

Yale University

Every other month the ewes were exposed to a ram and alternate months the ewes lambed.

Cornell University

This is the fourth in the SRI UPDATE series that is being sent out in alternate months.

Cornell University

This is the fifth in the SRI UPDATE series that is being sent out in alternate months.

Cornell University

He spent alternate months there for 10 years and organised volunteer surgeons from Scotland, but he felt they were making little impact on the country's needs.

The Guardian

He then raised funds to build west Africa's first plastic surgery hospital, which opened in 1997, and worked there for alternate months until he was 85.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

38 human-written examples

For every month of steady income and comfortable living in Consilience, tenants spend an alternate month in Positron Prison, performing tasks for the good of their micro-society.

The New Yorker

The Bhagavata Purana et al. texts tell that after Pururavas's birth, the nine brothers of Ila - by horse sacrifice - or the sage Vasistha – the family priest of Ila – pleased Shiva to compel him to give the boon of alternate month manhood to Ila, turning him into a Kimpurusha.

Wikipedia

Italian American Writers Association Reading (Saturday) The organization, which presents events at two different sites on alternating months, will feature a reading with the writers and scholars Maria Famà and Robert Viscusi at the Sidewalk Café, 94 Avenue A, at Sixth Street, East Village, [phone], sidewalkny.com; $8.

The New York Times - Arts

For $45 a month, members receive 12 bottles of one beer each month; for $25 a month, they get 6 bottles each of two beers delivered in alternating months.

The New York Times - Food

"I'm not into shock value," says Susan Silton, whose work was selected for Public Speaking, a new series of political-art pieces looming, on alternating months, above Wilshire.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing schedules or recurring events, use "alternate months" to clearly indicate that something happens every other month, not twice a month. For example: "The conference takes place in "alternate months" to allow for sufficient preparation time."

Common error

Avoid using "bi-monthly" as a direct synonym for "alternate months" as "bi-monthly" can be ambiguous, sometimes meaning twice a month instead of every other month. If you mean every other month, "alternate months" or "every other month" is clearer.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "alternate months" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun (often implied or stated), specifying a time interval or schedule. Ludwig AI confirms that this is a standard and acceptable usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Science

28%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Wiki

8%

Encyclopedias

6%

Formal & Business

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "alternate months" is a grammatically sound and acceptable phrase used to describe events happening every other month. While it's not extremely common, it is used across various contexts like news, science, and academia. To prevent confusion, especially with the term "bi-monthly", you might want to consider using "every other month" for enhanced clarity. Ludwig confirms the validity of this phrase and provides various examples of its correct usage.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

every other month

Uses a more explicit phrasing to indicate the skipping of one month between occurrences.

bi-monthly schedule

Focuses on the scheduling aspect, highlighting the frequency of twice a month.

occurring every second month

Emphasizes the ordinal positioning of the months in the recurrence.

once every two months

Highlights the duration of the interval between occurrences.

monthly with a one-month gap

Clearly states the monthly nature and the intervening gap.

in alternating monthly periods

Emphasizes the cyclical nature of alternating periods.

every other monthly cycle

Highlights the cyclical aspect of the recurrence.

on a bi-monthly basis

Focuses on the regularity of the bi-monthly occurrences.

in a month-on, month-off pattern

Emphasizes the on-off pattern of the occurrences.

taking place every two months

Focuses on the timing and interval between occurrences.

FAQs

How can I use "alternate months" in a sentence?

You can use "alternate months" to describe a recurring event that happens every other month. For instance, "The board meetings are scheduled for "alternate months" to accommodate everyone's availability."

What's a less ambiguous alternative to "alternate months"?

If you want to avoid any confusion, you can use the phrase "every other month". It clearly indicates that the event happens once every two months.

Is "bi-monthly" the same as "alternate months"?

Not necessarily. "Bi-monthly" can mean either twice a month or every two months, making it ambiguous. To avoid confusion, use "every other month" instead of "alternate months" for clarity.

What is the difference between "alternate months" and "alternating months"?

"Alternate months" describes a schedule where events occur every other month. "Alternating months", as in "alternating months", usually indicates a sequence of different activities occurring in different months, like "We are alternating months between two office locations".