seems no

USAGE SUMMARY

'seems no' is not correct and usable in written English.
However, you can use the phrase 'seems not' in written English. For example: "It seems not that the other team is going to win."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

There seems no way out.

The Economist

Invisible Children seems no better.

The New York Times

Congress seems no better informed.

The Economist

The twenty-first century seems no different.

The New Yorker

There seems no reason why not.

The Economist

There seems no chance of that.

The Economist

There seems no hope of a reprieve.

The Guardian

There seems no point in that.

The Guardian

It seems no one is exempt.

The New York Times - Sports

There seems no danger of that.

The Guardian - Sport

There seems no end to its fascinations.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "seems no" in formal writing. Always use "seems not" or other grammatically correct alternatives.

Common error

Many writers incorrectly use "seems no" thinking it's a direct negation of "seems". Instead, use "seems not" or restructure the sentence to incorporate a negative auxiliary verb like "does not seem".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "seems no" functions as a verb phrase attempting to express negation. However, as Ludwig AI points out, it's grammatically incorrect in standard English. It aims to convey a lack of apparent existence or likelihood, but fails to do so accurately.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

72%

Science

18%

Formal & Business

4%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

2%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "seems no" appears frequently in various sources, it is considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests using alternatives such as "seems not" or restructuring the sentence to employ a negative auxiliary verb. Although prevalent in news and media, its incorrect grammar makes it unsuitable for formal contexts. To ensure clarity and correctness, always opt for grammatically sound alternatives to accurately convey the intended negative assessment.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

appears not to be

Replaces "seems" with "appears" and restructures the sentence for grammatical correctness, emphasizing a visual assessment.

does not seem to be

Uses "does not seem to be" for a more direct and grammatically sound negation of the appearance.

there seems to be no

Adds "there" to create an impersonal construction, focusing on the absence of something.

it seems unlikely

Replaces the negative with "unlikely", shifting the focus to probability rather than direct negation.

it doesn't appear that

Similar to "appears not to be" but uses a different structure to introduce the clause.

it seems that there isn't

Uses "it seems that there isn't" to emphasize the non-existence of something.

there is no indication

Shifts the focus to the lack of evidence or sign, rather than appearance.

it suggests otherwise

Emphasizes contradiction with a previous statement or expectation, indicating a different conclusion.

evidence suggests the contrary

Focuses on the evidence pointing to an opposite conclusion.

it is not apparent

Replaces "seems" with "apparent" emphasizing the lack of obviousness.

FAQs

What's the correct way to negate "seems"?

The correct way to negate "seems" is to use "seems not" or to rephrase the sentence using a negative auxiliary verb, such as "does not seem".

Is "seems no" ever correct in English?

No, "seems no" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. Use "seems not" instead.

What are some alternatives to "seems no" that I can use?

You can use alternatives such as "appears not to be", "does not seem to be", or "it seems unlikely" depending on the context.

How can I restructure a sentence to avoid using "seems no"?

Restructure your sentence to use a negative auxiliary verb. For example, instead of "It seems no solution", say "There seems to be no solution" or "It does not seem that there is a solution".