rarely passing

USAGE SUMMARY

"rarely passing" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It is often used to describe a situation or action that does not happen often or only happens occasionally. Example: The shy student was rarely passing in class, but when given the chance to participate in a small group discussion, she surprised everyone with her insightful comments.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

He was positive in possession, rarely passing the ball back or sideways and always looking to play upfield, threading balls to his forwards and when they needed to keep the ball later in the game he played little one-twos with his winger around his opponent.

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Unsuccessful campaigns rarely pass 20% of the goal.

The Economist

The word "stimulus" only rarely passes his lips.

The New Yorker

Wherever we go we rarely pass another soul.

The Guardian - Travel

She rarely passes up a chance to be clever.

The New York Times - Arts

I rarely pass Cos or Whistles without stopping to look.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

On standard skydives, jumpers rarely pass 120mph due to air resistance.

Independent

They rarely pass up a chance to relax in the sun.

The New Yorker

There were many unfamiliar names that rarely passed unchanged from one copy to another.

Encyclopedia Britannica

David Beckham has the perfect pass and Rivaldo rarely passes at all, something that has maddened Ronaldo.

The Guardian - Sport

Mr. Townsend rarely passed up an opportunity to take jabs at Mr. Schumer.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing actions that occur infrequently, use "rarely passing" to emphasize the lack of repetition. For instance, in sports writing, you might say, "The player was "rarely passing" the ball, preferring to dribble instead."

Common error

While grammatically sound, "rarely passing" might sound informal in highly academic or business writing. Opt for more formal synonyms like "infrequently passing" or "seldom passing" for a more polished tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "rarely passing" functions as a descriptive element, often part of a verb phrase, indicating the infrequency of the action of passing. As Ludwig AI indicates, it accurately describes something that doesn't happen often.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Sport

33%

Academia

8%

Less common in

Science

8%

Encyclopedias

8%

Formal & Business

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "rarely passing" is a grammatically sound way to describe an action that occurs infrequently. Though correct, it's more suitable for general and news contexts, with more formal alternatives being preferable for academic or business writing. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is accepted and understandable, and its use effectively conveys a lack of regular occurrence. Example sentences are available to provide context, particularly in sports and media scenarios. While the phrase itself is uncommon, its meaning is clear and it serves a valuable descriptive purpose.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

infrequently passing

Replaces "rarely" with "infrequently", maintaining the core meaning of seldom occurrence.

seldom passing

Substitutes "rarely" with "seldom", another synonym indicating low frequency.

scarcely ever passing

Replaces "rarely" with "scarcely ever", maintaining the core meaning of seldom occurrence.

uncommonly passing

Replaces "rarely" with "uncommonly", maintaining the core meaning of seldom occurrence.

hardly ever passing

Uses a more emphatic construction to convey the same idea of near absence.

almost never passing

Similar to "hardly ever", this phrase emphasizes the scarcity of the action.

not often passing

A more straightforward way of expressing infrequent occurrence.

occasionally passing

Indicates that the action happens sometimes, but not frequently.

infrequently handing over

More specific vocabulary, in which "passing" becomes "handing over", which has high similarity to "passing".

unusually passing

This alternative suggests that in usual circumstances the person would pass, but not in specific circumstances.

FAQs

How can I use "rarely passing" in a sentence?

You can use "rarely passing" to describe an infrequent action. For example, "He was "rarely passing" the ball to his teammates."

What does "rarely passing" mean?

"Rarely passing" means that someone is not passing something, like a ball in a sports game, very often; it's infrequent.

What can I say instead of "rarely passing"?

You can use alternatives like "infrequently passing", "seldom passing", or "hardly ever passing".

Is it better to say "rarely passes" or "rarely passing"?

Both phrases are grammatically valid, but they have different meanings. "Rarely passes" is used in a third-person singular present simple construction, whereas "rarely passing" could be part of a continuous tense or a gerund phrase.