a former class

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a former class" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you are referring to a class that someone had in the past, or is no longer part of, such as "My former class was a lot of fun."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Brown, a former Class AAA manager for the Cleveland Indians, said he believes American managers add value to the Japanese game.

The New York Times - Sports

"I'd give anything to go back to May 1984," a former Class A ballplayer told me about the month he broke into pro ball.

The New York Times - Sports

Smith is billed as a former Class AAA catcher, though a close examination of Baseball Reference reveals four career Triple A at-bats, with lots of time spent in rookie leagues.

The New York Times

Valentine, the former Mets and Rangers manager, had recently been hoisted in the air by his players as the first foreigner to manage a team to the Nippon Series championship and Hillman, a former Class AAA manager for the Yankees, became the second to do so a year later.

The New York Times - Sports

Walking to the toilets, he stopped to talk to a former class mate.

BBC

This study aimed to follow up a study of a former class of construction students who participated in project-based vocational education (Empir Res Vocat Educ Train 6 2, 2014).

Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

"It's a big win for the plaintiffs," said Heather Gerken, a former class-action lawyer in Washington and an assistant professor at Harvard Law School.

The New York Times

"Everybody thinks she is nice and not clever," a former class-mate from her days at ENA told me last week, "but the truth is she is very clever and absolutely not nice".

The Economist

Over time I hope to organize an association of former class clowns and hold a convention.

Huffington Post

An individual dog, however, though a member of the former class, is not a member of the latter because an individual dog is not a species of animal (if the number of dogs increases, the number of species of animals does not thereby increase).

Encyclopedia Britannica

Yet the 49ers, in an apparent abandonment of their former class as an organization, have kept him on the field.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to a specific group of students you once taught or were associated with, use "a former class". This helps to clearly differentiate them from current students or classes you're presently involved with.

Common error

Avoid using "previous class" when you specifically mean a class that someone was a part of in the past. While similar, "former" emphasizes a personal connection, while "previous" is more about sequence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a former class" functions as a noun phrase. It serves to identify a specific group of students or individuals who were part of a class in the past. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

43%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a former class" is a grammatically sound and understandable phrase used to denote a class someone was previously a part of. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. While not exceptionally frequent, it appears across different contexts, including news, scientific publications and wikis. Remember to use "former" to emphasize a personal connection with the class, differentiating it from simply a "previous" one. Alternatives include "a past class" or specifying it as "an old class" depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a previous class

Replaces "former" with "previous", indicating a class from an earlier time.

a past class

Uses "past" instead of "former", conveying the same meaning of a class that existed before.

a prior class

Substitutes "former" with "prior", indicating a class that came before the current one.

an old class

Replaces "former" with "old", suggesting a class from a long time ago.

a one-time class

Emphasizes that the class is no longer active or ongoing.

a bygone class

Uses "bygone" to imply the class belongs to a concluded period.

a quondam class

Employs "quondam", a more formal synonym for "former", suggesting a class from the past.

a deceased class

Suggests a class that no longer exists, often in a metaphorical or organizational context.

a graduating class

Specifies that the class has completed its course of study.

an alumni group

Focuses on the members of a past class as a group of alumni.

FAQs

How can I use "a former class" in a sentence?

You can use "a former class" to refer to a group of students you once taught or were part of. For example, "I ran into some students from "a former class" at the grocery store".

What's the difference between "a former class" and "a previous class"?

"A former class" implies a personal connection or membership, whereas "a previous class" simply indicates a class that occurred earlier in a sequence. For instance, "a previous class covered this topic last semester".

Is it correct to say "a class that I used to be in" instead of "a former class"?

While grammatically correct, "a class that I used to be in" is less concise than ""a former class"". The latter is a more direct and efficient way to express the same idea.

What are some alternative ways to refer to a class from the past?

You could use phrases like "a past class", "an old class", or if you are referring to people, "alumni of a class".