I was thought

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I was thought" is not correct and cannot be used in written English.
A more accurate way to phrase this sentence would be "I was thinking" or "I thought". For example, "Yesterday, I was thinking about what I wanted to have for dinner."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

As I was thought to be her boyfriend.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Digger, who'd been closer to the graveyard than I was, thought that the graves had looked suspicious.

The New Yorker

In March , 1986 when the two films opened simultaneously in New York, he says, "I was thought to be a reincarnation of Beelzebub, because of the transformation".

The New Yorker

I was so nervous playing her because I was thought: how are women going to respect this character in terms of being so sexual, and so intelligent?

The Guardian - TV & Radio

I know that there that there, that there are times when I was thought to be being a bit slow over Savile.

The Guardian

"Nobody else took what I was doing seriously, so nobody would want to work with me," he said in an interview on The Life Scientific on BBC Radio 4. "I was thought to be a bit eccentric and maybe cranky".

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

Thus, RIG-I was thought to act as a PRR exclusively for pppRNA (independent of its single- or double-strandedness), and mda-5 for poly-I/C, or more realistically for the RNA elements of picornavirus infection that are mimicked by poly-I/C.

Plosone

I was think about going to Prom... were you?" Bad!

WikiHow

I'm think more about the parasite life cycle?

Cornell University

I dreaded being thought queer.

The New Yorker

All I do is think about suicide.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When intending to express a passive construction, consider rewording the sentence to use 'It was thought that I...' or 'I was believed to be...' for better grammatical structure.

Common error

Avoid using "I was thought" when you mean to express your own thinking or belief. This construction often leads to grammatical errors and can confuse the reader. Instead, use active voice ("I thought") or a correctly formed passive construction ("It was thought by others that I...").

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I was thought" is an attempt at using the passive voice. However, it's grammatically incorrect in standard English. As indicated by Ludwig AI, the correct way to express this would be to use "I thought" for expressing one's own thoughts, or rephrasing to express the opinions of others.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

25%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Academia

8%

Formal & Business

8%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "I was thought" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. Ludwig AI suggests that it should be replaced with "I thought" when expressing one's own thoughts, or rephrased to use a proper passive construction like "It was thought that I was..." when conveying the opinions of others. While the phrase appears across various sources, including News & Media and Science, its incorrect usage affects its reliability and clarity. Therefore, it's essential to use grammatically sound alternatives to ensure effective communication and avoid potential confusion.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I believed

Focuses on a personal belief or conviction.

I assumed

Indicates a presumption made without concrete evidence.

I considered

Highlights a thought process or evaluation.

I figured

Suggests a conclusion reached through reasoning or intuition.

I imagined

Emphasizes a mental picture or fantasy.

It was believed that I was

Shifts the focus to a general belief about the speaker.

I was under the impression

Indicates a prior understanding or perception.

I had the idea

Introduces a thought or plan that came to mind.

I surmised

Implies a reasoned guess based on available information.

I gathered

Suggests an understanding formed from collected information.

FAQs

How can I correctly express that people had a certain opinion about me?

Instead of "I was thought", you could say "It was thought that I was..." or "I was considered to be...". These alternatives are grammatically sound and clearly convey that others held a particular opinion about you.

What is the difference between "I was thought" and "I thought"?

"I thought" expresses your own thinking or belief. "I was thought" is not a standard English construction. If you intend to convey what others thought, rephrase using a passive construction such as "It was thought that I was...".

Is "I was thought" grammatically correct?

No, "I was thought" is generally not grammatically correct in standard English. It's best to use alternatives like "I thought", or rephrase to express a passive idea such as "I was believed to be...".

What are some alternatives to "I was thought" that express belief or assumption?

You could use alternatives like "I believed", "I assumed", or "I considered", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.