sporadic responses

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "sporadic responses" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe replies or reactions that occur irregularly or infrequently. Example: "The survey received sporadic responses from participants, making it difficult to draw any significant conclusions."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Formal & Business

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

As noted already, sporadic responses from other teachers across all three years indicate that presences of aspects of mathematical practices allied with absences in relation to an overarching orientation to mathematical modes of enquiry were more broadly prevalent.

International Journal of STEM Education

Single electrical stimuli delivered to efferent axons generally produced small, sporadic responses.

Plosone

A focused contrast decomposed this interaction, based on the increase in inappropriate strategic behavior postoperatively (an increase in inappropriate sporadic responses and a decrease in appropriate sporadic responses).

European Journal of Neuroscience

Somewhat disappointingly however, apart from sporadic responses in isolated individuals, clinical outcomes have generally been disappointing (Finn, 2003; Morris et al, 2003).

British Journal of Cancer

This was calculated as a difference score between the increase in inappropriate sporadic responses (mean pre post difference in probability of sporadic choice after one, two or three persistent responses) and decrease in appropriate sporadic responses (pre post difference in probability of sporadic choice after four persistent responses).

European Journal of Neuroscience

Monkeys with VLPFC lesions performed more poorly than control monkeys in both aspects of strategy implementation, making more sporadic responses than controls after one, two or three consecutive persistent responses, and fewer sporadic responses than controls after four consecutive persistent responses (Fig. 6).

European Journal of Neuroscience

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

We analysed the probability of a sporadic response after one, two, three or four consecutive persistent responses in each group of monkeys.

European Journal of Neuroscience

Conversely, in those who exhibit binge eating behavior (e.g. BN, BED), previous research summarises a neural pattern to rewarding stimuli that is somewhat reversed, with a reduced or sporadic response in PFC regions, combined with hyperactivation in mesolimbic areas.

BMC Psychiatry

For this measure, the probability of making a sporadic response after one, two, three or four persistent choices was determined for each test session for each monkey, and a mean value calculated for each monkey for its pre- and postoperative performance tests.

European Journal of Neuroscience

Despite promising preclinical efficacy in PI3K-pathway-dependent prostate cancer models [12], [13], [14], there have been only sporadic clinical responses in single-agent trials with rapamycin analogs (rapalogs, eg CCI-779, RAD001) targeting the PI3K-pathway via allosteric inhibition of mTORC1 [16], [16].

Plosone

Selumetinib has shown sporadic complete responses in patients with BRAF-mutant melanoma, but only 50% of unselected patients were able to achieve stable disease for >6 weeks (Banerji et al, 2010).

British Journal of Cancer

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing data collection, use "sporadic responses" to clearly indicate that feedback was not consistent or comprehensive. This helps manage expectations about the robustness of the data.

Common error

Do not assume that "sporadic responses" indicate a lack of interest or engagement. Consider external factors that might contribute to inconsistent participation before drawing conclusions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sporadic responses" functions as a descriptive term, modifying the noun "responses" to indicate that they occur at irregular intervals or are infrequent. Ludwig AI confirms this usage with examples across various domains.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

57%

News & Media

29%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "sporadic responses" is used to describe reactions or replies that occur irregularly or infrequently. According to Ludwig, it is grammatically correct and suitable for various contexts, including science, news, and formal business settings. The phrase serves to convey the inconsistent nature of feedback or engagement, implying that the responses are not continuous or predictable. While there are other alternatives like "infrequent reactions" or "intermittent replies", "sporadic responses" is a clear and professional way to communicate this idea.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

infrequent reactions

Replaces "sporadic" with a direct synonym, focusing on the low frequency of the responses.

irregular replies

Substitutes both words with synonyms that emphasize the lack of a consistent pattern.

occasional answers

Uses less formal synonyms, suggesting responses are not only infrequent but also not routine.

intermittent reactions

Replaces "sporadic" with "intermittent," highlighting the on-and-off nature of the responses.

unpredictable responses

Shifts the focus to the uncertainty of when responses occur, rather than just their frequency.

scattered replies

Emphasizes the dispersed and uneven distribution of responses.

isolated reactions

Highlights that the responses are few and far between, occurring independently.

rare answers

Directly indicates the infrequency of the responses in a more simplified manner.

random replies

Suggests that the responses occur without any discernible pattern or reason.

hit-or-miss reactions

Informal phrase emphasizing the inconsistent and unreliable nature of the responses.

FAQs

How can I use "sporadic responses" in a sentence?

You can use "sporadic responses" to describe situations where replies or reactions are infrequent and irregular. For example, "The campaign received "sporadic responses" from the target audience, indicating a need for a revised outreach strategy".

What's the difference between "sporadic responses" and "inconsistent responses"?

"Sporadic responses" emphasizes the infrequency and irregularity of the replies, whereas "inconsistent responses" highlights the lack of uniformity or predictability in the nature or quality of the replies.

What can I say instead of "sporadic responses"?

You can use alternatives like "infrequent reactions", "occasional answers", or "intermittent reactions" depending on the context.

Is it correct to use "sporadic responses" in formal writing?

Yes, "sporadic responses" is appropriate for formal writing. It is a clear and professional way to describe responses that occur irregularly. However, consider whether a more specific term might be more appropriate, depending on the nuance you wish to convey.