it seldom occurs

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it seldom occurs" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something happens infrequently or rarely. Example: "In this region, heavy snowfall is a rare event; it seldom occurs during the winter months."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Tintin passes increasing portions of his life with an unmarried seaman, yet it seldom occurs to us to question their rapport.

The New Yorker

It seldom occurs to us that our lack of romanticism - our much-vaunted 'realism' - may look as weird in the future as Barbara Cartland's romantic effusions do to us.

The Guardian - Opinion

It seldom occurs with a properly placed needle, and it is associated with excessive movement during or after insertion, which may lead to enlargement of the entry site in the bone relative to the diameter of the needle.

International Journal of Emergency Medicine

Since the intent of such projects is rarely the publication of scientific papers, it seldom occurs but, in that event, especially if the paper is submitted to international or non-UK journals, the editors might question the missing EC/IRB clearance.

Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

The smalleye hammerhead is found along the eastern coast of South America from Uruguay to Venezuela, though it seldom occurs further west than the Orinoco Delta southeast of Trinidad.

Wikipedia

However, it seldom occurs when protein molecules are placed on or embedded in inert lipid bilayers.

Chemical Reviews

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

The skip metastasis often occurred in no. 7, 8a, 9, 10, and 11p in T2b tumors, but it seldom occurred in T2a and T1 tumors (Table 3).

BMC Cancer

"Interview 3" Girls reported that it seldom occurred that someone asked them for snus, so they rarely had to treat others to it, and they did not feel they influenced others to start.

BMC Public Health

Having a terrific game plan is one thing, but executing it to near perfection seldom occurs in this league.

Huffington Post

The first one is that it has seldom occurred to hospital clinicians that, if I am being treated by two or more hospitals, that what the other hospital is doing to me has any relevance to it.

The Guardian

From our experiment, it is observed that inaccurate midline detection seldom occurs in consecutive image slices, and it is reasonable to assume that the midline should not change much across several consecutive slices of the scan.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "it seldom occurs" to indicate that something happens infrequently but not necessarily never. It suggests a lower frequency than "it rarely occurs" but a higher frequency than "it never occurs".

Common error

Avoid using "it seldom occurs" when the event in question virtually never happens. Phrases like "it rarely occurs" or "it almost never occurs" might be more appropriate in such cases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it seldom occurs" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb. Ludwig AI confirms this is a correct and usable English expression, typically used to indicate the infrequency of an event or action. The word "seldom" acts as an adverb of frequency.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

57%

News & Media

36%

Wiki

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "it seldom occurs" is a grammatically sound phrase used to indicate that something happens infrequently. Ludwig AI confirms this and the examples show its use across varied contexts such as science, news, and encyclopedias. While "seldom" makes it slightly more formal, it remains appropriate for neutral writing. When writing, it's essential to consider the degree of rarity you wish to express and avoid overstating the infrequency of the event. The best tip is to use alternatives if the event is more or less rare than what "seldom" suggests, with choices like "it rarely happens" or "it hardly ever occurs" offering different nuances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it rarely happens

Changes the verb from "occurs" to "happens" and "seldom" to "rarely", offering a more informal tone.

it infrequently occurs

Replaces "seldom" with "infrequently", maintaining a formal tone while changing the specific adverb.

it hardly ever occurs

Uses "hardly ever" in place of "seldom", creating a slightly stronger sense of rarity.

it scarcely ever happens

Employs "scarcely ever" to convey infrequency, similar to "hardly ever" but with a more literary feel.

it is uncommon

Shifts from a verb-focused construction to an adjective-based one, emphasizing the state of being uncommon rather than the action of occurring.

it is a rare occurrence

Transforms the phrase into a noun phrase, highlighting the event as being rare.

it doesn't happen often

Uses a more straightforward and common expression to indicate infrequency.

it occurs only sporadically

Replaces "seldom" with "only sporadically", indicating irregular or intermittent occurrences.

it is unusual for it to occur

Emphasizes the unexpected nature of the event, framing it as something out of the ordinary.

it is atypical for that to happen

Focuses on the atypical nature of the event, using a different verb and restructuring the sentence.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "it seldom occurs" for a formal context?

In formal writing, you could replace "it seldom occurs" with phrases like "it infrequently occurs" or "it rarely happens" to maintain a sophisticated tone.

What's the difference between "it seldom occurs" and "it rarely occurs"?

While both phrases suggest infrequency, "it seldom occurs" implies a slightly higher probability than "it rarely occurs". The latter emphasizes a greater degree of rarity.

Is "it seldom occurs" suitable for academic writing?

Yes, "it seldom occurs" is appropriate for academic writing. It's a clear and concise way to express that something does not happen frequently. Consider the specific nuance you wish to convey when choosing between "it seldom occurs" and more formal alternatives.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when using "it seldom occurs"?

A common mistake is using "it seldom occurs" when "it never occurs" is more accurate. Make sure the event does happen at least occasionally to justify using "it seldom occurs".