skipping back and forth

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "skipping back and forth" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is typically used to describe a physical action or movement of jumping or moving quickly between different points or positions. Example: The children were skipping back and forth on the playground, laughing and having a great time.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Books

Literature

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

It isn't, but it's so intricately constructed you may find yourself skipping back and forth to connect the dots and assemble the pieces of the puzzle.

The New York Times - Books

The answers land higher than pi and lower than pi, skipping back and forth across pi, and gradually closing in on pi.

The New Yorker

Told through the brothers' points of view, as well as those of the people around them, and skipping back and forth over more than 50 years, the narrative is thick with barnyard detail, odd anecdotes and backwoods lore.

The New York Times - Books

Those shows made sense to Web-savvy audiences alive to the fun of skipping back and forth from one thread to the next, and to random-seeming series of nonlinear sequences directed mostly by whim, taste and mood.

The New York Times

"My thoughts are skipping back and forth as if my life is on a videotape in my mind that pauses randomly here and there," she writes at one point.

The New York Times - Books

Mr. Blessing unspools the plot ingeniously, skipping back and forth in time as the details require, and he is aided by the director, Mark Lamos, who keeps the play followable and attention-compelling without giving anything away cheaply.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

(While tracking where you are in a book, Scribd also tries to distinguish between moments when you're actually reading and progressing in a book and others where you're quickly skipping back-and-forth, say if you're trying to look something up from earlier).

TechCrunch

To compare passages in a text, for instance, students often skip back and forth between them.

The Economist

But over 10 or 15 minutes, as the ball skipped back and forth, Murray's form subtly changed.

The New York Times

Over the past decade, the responsibility for this has skipped back and forth from federal to state levels.

Independent

He then skips back and forth in the audio simply by tapping the pen on different places on the page.

The New York Times - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "skipping back and forth" to describe non-linear narratives in storytelling, such as plots that jump between different time periods or perspectives.

Common error

While grammatically correct, "skipping back and forth" may sound too informal for academic or professional writing. Consider using more formal alternatives like "alternating between" or "oscillating between" in those settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "skipping back and forth" functions primarily as a verb phrase, often acting as an adverbial modifier to describe how something is done. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Books

20%

The Guardian

13%

Less common in

Science

7%

Formal & Business

7%

Huffington Post

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "skipping back and forth" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase that describes alternating movement, whether physical or conceptual. Ludwig's examples show it frequently used in News & Media and Books to describe non-linear narratives or fluctuating ideas. While generally acceptable, consider more formal alternatives in academic or professional writing. Remember, the specific context and intended audience should always guide your word choice. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this phrase fits naturally into many sentences.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

going back and forth

A more general and straightforward way of expressing the same idea.

alternating between

Focuses on the act of switching between two things repeatedly.

switching between

Highlights the change from one thing to another and back again.

moving to and fro

Emphasizes a continuous movement in opposite directions.

shuttling between

Suggests a frequent and often rapid movement between two points.

oscillating between

Suggests a regular and repeating pattern of movement or change.

moving in both directions

A simple description of movement happening in two opposing ways.

fluctuating between

Implies irregular changes between different states or positions.

alternating rhythmically

Adds the element of a repeating pattern over time.

reversing direction repeatedly

Focuses specifically on the change of direction.

FAQs

How can I use "skipping back and forth" in a sentence?

You can use "skipping back and forth" to describe movement, narratives, or even abstract concepts that alternate between two states. For example, "The narrative was "skipping back and forth" in time."

What's a more formal way to say "skipping back and forth"?

Depending on the context, you could use more formal alternatives like "alternating between", "oscillating between", or "fluctuating between".

What does "skipping back and forth" imply?

"Skipping back and forth" implies a rapid, often non-linear movement or change, either physical or conceptual. It suggests a lack of steady progression.

Is it ever incorrect to use "skipping back and forth"?

While grammatically correct, "skipping back and forth" might be too informal for academic or highly professional contexts. Choose more formal language when appropriate.