seldom goes

USAGE SUMMARY

'seldom goes' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express a lack of frequency in how often something happens, or is done. For example: "He seldom goes to the movies."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

38 human-written examples

He seldom goes out.

The Economist

Traumatised by the attack, she seldom goes out in public.

The Guardian

She may go unrecognized, but she seldom goes unnoticed.

The New York Times - Magazine

The trouble is, it seldom goes to plan.

The Guardian

She seldom goes unrecognized in her homeland, and at 19 she fielded an outsize request.

The New York Times - Sports

Of course, in New York, space seldom goes to waste or waits long for rediscovery.

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

22 human-written examples

ROME -- I seldom go back to England.

The New York Times

Mr. Weiner's bills, however, seldom went anywhere.

The New York Times

But the loans seldom go directly to the local government.

The New York Times

Many Rabbit Software employes, for example, seldom go into Philadelphia.

The New York Times

But she had seldom gone in a straight line.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "seldom goes", ensure the context clearly indicates the specific action or place that is being referred to infrequently. For example: "He seldom goes to the library".

Common error

Avoid using "seldom goes" when you want to convey that something never happens. "Seldom" implies it happens occasionally, not that it's completely absent.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "seldom goes" functions as an adverbial modifier indicating the infrequency of an action. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's used to express that something doesn't happen often. The examples show its use in various contexts, modifying verbs to specify how rarely someone goes somewhere or does something.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

20%

Encyclopedias

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

3%

Academia

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "seldom goes" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to denote infrequent actions or visits. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for describing habits or tendencies. Predominantly found in news and media, with some presence in scientific contexts, its neutral register makes it versatile for various writing styles. When using "seldom goes", be aware that it implies occasional occurrence, differentiating it from "never goes", which denotes complete absence. Remember that similar phrases like "rarely goes" or "infrequently goes" can be used as alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rarely goes

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

infrequently goes

Substitutes "seldom" with "infrequently", offering a more formal alternative with the same core meaning.

hardly ever goes

Uses "hardly ever" in place of "seldom", providing a more emphatic way to express infrequency.

scarcely goes

Replaces "seldom" with "scarcely", suggesting a minimal frequency of occurrence.

does not often go

Rephrases "seldom goes" using a negative construction with "often", indicating lack of frequent action.

not frequently goes

Employs "not frequently" as a substitute for "seldom", maintaining the essence of infrequent action.

does not usually go

Expresses infrequency using "not usually", indicating that the action is uncommon but not entirely absent.

occasionally goes

Uses "occasionally" to indicate a less rare frequency than "seldom", suggesting some instances of occurrence.

sometimes goes

Employs "sometimes" to show an action occurs, though not regularly, implying a higher frequency than "seldom".

only goes from time to time

Replaces "seldom goes" with an idiomatic expression, showing that something happens occasionally, but not often.

FAQs

How can I use "seldom goes" in a sentence?

You can use "seldom goes" to indicate that someone or something rarely visits a place or performs an action. For example, "She "seldom goes" to the cinema" means she rarely visits the cinema.

What words are similar to "seldom goes"?

Similar phrases include "rarely goes", "infrequently goes", or "hardly ever goes". These all suggest that an action or visit is not common.

Is "seldom goes" formal or informal?

"Seldom goes" is generally considered a more formal way of saying "rarely goes". It's suitable for both writing and speech, but might sound slightly more elevated.

What's the difference between "seldom goes" and "never goes"?

"Seldom goes" implies that an action happens occasionally, whereas "never goes" means the action does not happen at all. "Seldom" indicates infrequency, while "never" indicates absence.