a past intern

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a past intern" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to someone who has previously held an internship position at a company or organization. Example: "During the meeting, we invited a past intern to share their experiences and insights about the internship program."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Elena G. Ewert, MD (formerly Elena Garcia) graduated from the Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, CA and is a past intern of Mount Sinai School of Medicine's International Exchange Program for Minority Students in New York, NY.

BMC Medical Education

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Find out what tasks you will perform, what past interns have accomplished, which decision makers you will work with, whether you'll have a mentor or another advocate, and how the internship might fit in with your long-term career goals, Ms. Steinfeld said.

The New York Times

Past interns who have worked with our team have gone on to successful careers working with data at the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the Associated Press, Vox Media, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Factual.

Los Angeles Times

I love watching Happy Endings but I have to remind myself constantly that these fun-loving misfits are not my peers; they're my past interns now all grown up.

Huffington Post

Put that in a sitcom treatment and you won't get past an intern's slush pile, but give these two the freedom to improvise and you've got a modern classic.

Independent

G.P.G.'s image combines show business and political wonkiness, and Swenson, fittingly, is a Harvard alum, a former intern in the Obama Administration, and a past contestant on "American Idol".

The New Yorker

Brandon is a past President of Tulane University for Israel and former Israel Programming Intern at Tulane Hillel.

Huffington Post

In the past, she interned at Facebook and worked as a Product Manager for a London-based startup.

TechCrunch

The graduate, known only as E, described how, having been a ZSL intern in the past, she felt it necessary to speak out 'to counteract this article/media criticism' and insisted how she did not feel like she had been exploited during her time with the zoo.

Independent

Mr. Armstrong, who did not respond to a request for an interview, was an intern this summer with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and in the past with the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.

The New York Times

A dog bit an intern.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to someone's previous role as an intern, ensure the context clearly indicates the time frame and relevance of their past experience to the current discussion.

Common error

Be specific about the duration or period when the person was an intern to avoid confusion about the relevance and recency of their experience. For instance, clarify if it was "a past summer intern" or "a past year-long intern".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a past intern" functions as a noun phrase identifying an individual who previously held an internship. Ludwig AI confirms its usability. It modifies the noun "intern" with the adjective "past", indicating a temporal relationship to the internship.

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, "a past intern" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe someone who previously held an internship. While Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage, it is less common than alternatives like "former intern". The phrase appears in both news and scientific contexts, maintaining a neutral register suitable for diverse communications. When using this phrase, ensure clarity about the time frame of the internship to avoid ambiguity. Despite its infrequent usage, it effectively conveys the individual's prior internship experience.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a former intern

Replaces "past" with "former", offering a more common synonym that still indicates a previous internship position.

a previous intern

Substitutes "past" with "previous", maintaining the formal tone while signifying a prior internship.

an ex-intern

Uses "ex-" as a prefix, providing a shorter, more informal alternative to indicate a previous internship.

a prior intern

Uses "prior" instead of "past", presenting a more formal alternative to indicate a previous internship.

an intern in the past

Rephrases the statement to highlight the temporal aspect of the internship experience.

someone who interned previously

Changes the structure to emphasize the action of interning in the past, rather than the intern's status.

a one-time intern

Emphasizes the finite nature of the internship, suggesting it was a single occurrence.

an intern who has left

Focuses on the intern's departure from the role, implying the internship has concluded.

an alumni intern

Specifies that the intern is now an alumnus/alumna, implying they have completed the internship and possibly graduated.

a graduating intern

Highlights that the intern is leaving the role because of the end of studies.

FAQs

What is a more common way to say "a past intern"?

A more common alternative is "a former intern", which is widely understood and frequently used in both formal and informal contexts.

How can I use "a past intern" in a sentence?

You can use "a past intern" to describe someone who previously held an internship. For example: "During the meeting, we invited "a past intern" to share their experiences and insights about the internship program."

Is it grammatically correct to say "a past intern"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct, though alternatives like "a former intern" may be preferred in some contexts due to their higher frequency and wider acceptance.

What's the difference between "a past intern" and "a current intern"?

"A past intern" refers to someone who has completed their internship, while "a current intern" refers to someone who is presently undertaking an internship.