a former intern

USAGE SUMMARY

'a former intern' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to someone who has previously done an internship. For example: John is a former intern of the company and he was responsible for research.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"I did some really exciting things like go on a cover shoot and work with well-known models," says a former intern at the London office of an international fashion magazine.

The Guardian - Money

On Monday, Pacelle denied kissing a former intern in 2005.

The Washington Post

"The item also featured a case study of a former intern.

The Guardian

I was a former intern in the Product Marketing team at Apple, analyzing customer data.

University of California, Berkeley

Hannah Steinhardt, a sophomore at Barnard College in New York City, is a former intern of The Choice.

The New York Times

Aveneesh Singh Saluja, a former intern for Mr. Smith at Goldman Sachs, discussed his former boss with Business Insider.

The New York Times

"It sometimes frightens me to see what qualified people we reject," said Ms. Monahan, herself a former intern.

The New York Times

Earlier today a former intern at the N.F.L. was hired to be the N.F.L.'s new commissioner.

The New York Times

A former intern has since started a petition calling on the prime minister to save the charity.

The Guardian - Money

Is Phillip Picardi, a former intern who now heads up Teen Vogue, the future of Condé Nast?

The New York Times

The paper in September assigned a former intern who had worked with Mr. Rosenberg to do that job.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing someone as "a former intern", always specify the organization or field where they interned to provide context and relevance.

Common error

Don't simply state that someone is "a former intern" without providing any details about the internship. This lacks context and can be less informative for the reader.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a former intern" functions as a noun phrase, specifically a description, identifying someone by their past role as an intern. Ludwig confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

79%

Academia

13%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a former intern" is a grammatically sound and frequently used noun phrase, as Ludwig AI confirms. It serves to describe someone based on their past experience as an intern, typically adding context to their present situation. Predominantly found in news and media, it's also present in academic and formal business settings. When using the phrase, it's best practice to add specifics like the organization or field to provide clarity. Avoid being too vague and ensure the context is clear. Semantically similar alternatives include "an ex-intern" or "a past intern". By following these guidelines, you'll use "a former intern" effectively in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an ex-intern

Replaces "former" with "ex-", a shorter prefix indicating a past role.

a past intern

Substitutes "former" with "past", offering a slightly more concise way to express the same idea.

a former student intern

Specifies the person was a student at the time of the internship.

someone who interned previously

Rephrases the concept using "someone who" structure to describe the person and "previously" to indicate the past internship.

a one-time intern

Uses "one-time" to specify that the person interned only once in the past.

was an intern

This alternative is more direct and concise and focuses on the fact that the person was an intern at some point.

an individual who used to be an intern

Employs a more descriptive and formal construction, emphasizing the individual's past role.

an intern in the past

Changes the sentence structure to place "in the past" at the end, clarifying the timing.

an alumnus intern

Uses 'alumnus' to mean that the person has completed their internship and is not currently one.

a previous trainee

Replaces intern with trainee, indicating a more general term for someone receiving on-the-job training.

FAQs

How do I correctly use "a former intern" in a sentence?

Use "a former intern" to refer to someone who previously held an internship. For example: "She is now a manager, but she started as "a former intern" at this company."

What are some alternatives to saying "a former intern"?

You can use alternatives like "an ex-intern", "a past intern", or "someone who interned previously".

Is it correct to say "an intern" instead of "a former intern" when referring to someone's past role?

No, "an intern" refers to someone currently holding an internship. To indicate a past role, use ""a former intern"" or a similar phrase.

How can I make the phrase "a former intern" more specific?

Specify the company or field: "A former intern at Google" or ""a former intern" in the marketing department."