I was separately

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I was separately" is not correct and lacks clarity in written English.
It may be intended to convey that the speaker was apart from others or doing something individually, but it requires additional context to be meaningful. Example: "I was separately working on my project while the team collaborated on theirs."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

He did not name the minister, but I was separately told of a meeting between Stewart and David Miliband, who was Foreign Secretary between 2007 and 2010.

The New Yorker

I was separately invited by two male college friends to engage in a ménage à trois with them and their wives.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

If only patients with UICC stage 0-III versus UICC stage IV and UICC stage 0-I are separately analyzed, cancer related and disease free survival are not different between the two groups as well.

BMC Cancer

"Neither Justin nor I are separately compensated for these activities," he wrote, referring to Justin Cooper, another Clinton aide who had joined him in Teneo.

Los Angeles Times

In 1949, the building was Grade I listed; the round tower was separately Grade I listed at the same time, and the 17th-century southern and western boundary walls of the park were Grade II listed in 1974.

Wikipedia

The topology of each subnetwork (i) was inferred separately, by sampling from the posterior distribution (P(A i | R )) of the corresponding binary variables (A i ) using five parallel Gibbs samplers.

BMC Systems Biology

First the observed variables were standardized, i.e. FA was separately applied to the Cy5 and Cy3 microarray data to subtract the variation all arrays had in common.

BMC Genomics

After joining, the H and L chain sets were ligated into the display vector pHEN I and each set was separately electroporated into competent bacterial cells.

BMC Biotechnology

To achieve this, the first criterion was separately modeled (i.e. two variables per model) with each of the other frequent criteria by binary logistic regression.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

In the first variant (variant I - dynamic), the delineation threshold was separately determined for each structural variable in each sample plot.

Forest Ecosystems

was separately measured.

Insights into Imaging

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "I was separately" in formal writing. Rephrase for clarity and grammatical correctness using alternatives like "I was apart", "I was alone", or "I was working independently."

Common error

The word "separately" is an adverb, and its placement can significantly impact sentence meaning. Using "I was separately" often leads to ambiguity. Instead, ensure the adverb clearly modifies the intended verb or adjective to convey the correct meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I was separately" functions awkwardly as a statement indicating a state of being combined with an adverb of manner. However, as Ludwig AI highlights, it's not grammatically sound and lacks clarity. The intended meaning is often better conveyed through alternative phrasings.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "I was separately" is generally considered grammatically incorrect and lacks clarity. Ludwig AI underscores this point, recommending the use of clearer alternatives. While the phrase appears in some contexts, including news and scientific articles, its rarity and awkwardness suggest it should be avoided in favor of more precise language. Phrases like "I was apart", "I was alone", or "I worked independently" offer better clarity and grammatical correctness, as shown by Ludwig's examples.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I was apart

Replaces "separately" with "apart", focusing on physical separation or emotional distance. It's a more direct and common way to express being in a different location or state.

I was by myself

Highlights the state of being alone, either physically or emotionally. It focuses on the lack of companionship.

I was on my own

Indicates independence and self-reliance. It emphasizes the absence of assistance or company.

I did it alone

Emphasizes the individual effort and accomplishment without assistance. It highlights the solitary nature of the action.

I was isolated

Suggests a state of being cut off from others, either physically or emotionally. It implies a lack of connection or communication.

I was solo

Highlights doing anything by one person instead of with a team.

I acted independently

Focuses on autonomous and uncoordinated action, prioritizing freedom of action and absence of external control.

I was detached

Emphasizing emotional distance from people.

I was disconnected

It means you are out of touch with the current topic.

I was single

If context refers to people who are divorced, widower, unmarried. Signifies absence of marriage ties.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "I was separately" to sound more natural?

Consider using phrases like "I was apart", "I was alone", or "I was working independently" depending on the context. Each of these options provides more clarity and better grammatical structure.

What's wrong with saying "I was separately"?

The phrase "I was separately" is grammatically awkward and doesn't clearly convey its intended meaning. It's not a standard or widely accepted way to express separation or independence.

Is there a situation where "I was separately" would be correct?

While technically understandable, "I was separately" is almost always better replaced with a clearer alternative. For example: "I was separately working on my project" could be rephrased as "I was working on my project separately" or better, "I was working on my project alone".

What are some alternatives to saying "I was separately" when describing tasks?

Instead of "I was separately", you can say "I was working independently", "I handled it on my own", or "I took care of it separately" if you want to maintain the adverbial use of 'separately' but use a more grammatically correct form.