in alternating weeks

USAGE SUMMARY

'in alternating weeks' is a grammatically correct phrase that is often used in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation in which two people or groups of people are taking turns doing something on a weekly basis. For example: The two teams play each other in alternating weeks throughout the season.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

("It wasn't all that dissimilar from aspects of this part," Mr. Goldblum said, sotto voce).The consistent quirkiness Mr. Goldblum exhibits in his performances, Mr. Wolf said, made him an ideal complement to Vincent D'Onofrio, the "Criminal Intent" star who will continue to play the idiosyncratic Detective Robert Goren in alternating weeks of the show.

The New York Times - Arts

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Richard Rothstein, who has written this column in alternate weeks, will write it every week starting today.

The New York Times

Mr. Stuart may have wanted to obscure the memory that he actually went to Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School in Wakefield, north of Boston, a school that teaches trades like auto repair, cosmetology and pipe fitting and offers academic subjects in alternate weeks.

The New York Times

In theory, the two systems were to broadcast programmes in alternate weeks for a six-month trial - in fact, the Baird system was quickly scrapped.

BBC

The new segment will be called "Clinton/Dole" (or, in alternate weeks, "Dole/Clinton") rather than "Point-Counterpoint," and it will run in the middle of the show rather than at the end.

Forbes

But a first look at the legislative calendars for both the House and the Senate suggests that the supercommittee may face the same problem that the bipartisan group led by Vice President Biden faced this spring: The House and the Senate are in recess during alternating weeks for part of October and November.

The Washington Post

The two were in chemotherapy, sometimes on alternating weeks, sometimes side by side.

The New York Times

The women became bitter enemies, a situation further aggravated by the custody arrangement for Evan, which called for him to spend alternating weeks in each parent's house.

The New York Times - Style

He is divorced from his wife, estranged from his children and spends alternating weeks in the hospital.

Los Angeles Times

Over the past 12 weeks, in fact, I was flying back and forth between Boston and San Francisco, alternating weeks on each coast.

HuffPost

In this case, the parents split the week or take the child on alternating weeks.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing schedules or recurring events, use "in alternating weeks" to clearly indicate that something happens every other week, not every week.

Common error

Avoid using "in alternating weeks" when you actually mean consecutive weeks or a continuous schedule. This phrase specifically implies a gap between occurrences.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "in alternating weeks" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to specify the timing or frequency of an action. It indicates a recurring pattern where something occurs every other week, as demonstrated in the Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

30%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "in alternating weeks" is a common and grammatically correct way to express that something occurs every other week. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and offers numerous examples from diverse sources, including news media, scientific publications, and academic texts. While alternatives like "every other week" and "on a bi-weekly basis" exist, "in alternating weeks" provides a clear and widely understood way to specify a bi-weekly schedule. When using this phrase, ensure that it accurately reflects the intended meaning of every other week to avoid confusion with consecutive or continuous schedules.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

on alternate weeks

This is a shortened version of the original phrase, omitting the preposition "in".

every other week

This alternative uses simpler language to express the same frequency.

on a bi-weekly basis

Replaces the prepositional phrase with a more formal adverbial phrase.

every second week

A more literal and descriptive way of saying the same thing.

occurring weekly, but not consecutively

Expands upon the base concept to ensure it is not misunderstood as every single week.

once every two weeks

Quantifies the frequency in terms of a two-week period.

week about

A less common, more colloquial expression for the same concept.

in successive weeks

Emphasizes the consecutive nature of the weeks but changes the actual meaning, as successive implies following each other directly, instead of skipping a week.

in a rotating weekly schedule

Implies a predefined plan where the subject of the schedule follows a repeating order of weeks.

at weekly intervals

Focuses on the interval between occurrences rather than the alternation itself.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "in alternating weeks"?

Alternatives include "every other week", "on a bi-weekly basis", or "every second week". Choose the phrase that best fits the context and desired level of formality.

What is the difference between "in alternating weeks" and "every week"?

"In alternating weeks" means something happens once every two weeks, whereas "every week" means it happens weekly without any gaps.

Is "on alternate weeks" the same as "in alternating weeks"?

Yes, "on alternate weeks" is a common and acceptable shortened version of "in alternating weeks" and conveys the same meaning.

How do I use "in alternating weeks" in a sentence?

For example, you could say, "The teams will play each other in alternating weeks throughout the season", meaning that the match between the two teams will occur every other week.