a report was made

USAGE SUMMARY

"a report was made" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that a report was created or written. For example: "According to the company documents, a report was made in August 2019 regarding the incident."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

When a report was made, they tried to keep it as quiet as possible".

The New York Times

A report was made to police but the drone operator was not traced.

The Guardian

Then Mr. Mohamed switched on the television set and finally a report was made: the embassy had just been bombed.

The New York Times

A report was made to the police in March 2012 and, after an investigation of several months, Mr. Johnson was charged in July.

The New York Times

He was arrested on 7 May after a report was made to Mugabe's security men and to senior police officers in the city".

The Guardian

Now, you will note that a report was made against Major Meinel by the SD in which Meinel was reproached with having shown, to some extent, aversion against the National Socialist creed.

Yale University

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

A report is made of all the fields.

Cornell University

If a report is made with an outside police agency, a copy of their report needs to be presented.

Johns Hopkins University

Where a report is made the matter is passed on to the police for further investigation, and we consider it is the responsibility of the police and the prosecuting authorities to record incidents of criminal behaviour.

BBC

The university said that the number of cases can include anonymous reports in which there is not enough information to investigate, such as instances in which a report is made anonymously or students decline to cooperate with officials.

Los Angeles Times

A detailed report was made by Antonio Inajar Kurowski, a professor at the Criminology Institute of Parana.

HuffPost

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a report was made" when you want to neutrally state that a report was created or submitted, without emphasizing who made it or the specific details of its contents.

Common error

While "a report was made" is grammatically correct, overusing passive voice can make your writing sound vague. Consider using active voice to specify who made the report: "The committee made a report" is more direct.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a report was made" functions as a passive construction indicating that a report was created or submitted. As Ludwig AI explains, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. It serves to neutrally convey the creation of a report without specifying the actor.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a report was made" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to indicate that a report has been created or submitted. As Ludwig AI confirms, its neutral tone makes it appropriate for a variety of contexts, particularly in news, academic, and scientific domains. While effective, consider actively phrasing your statements for clarity and impact. Related phrases include "a report was filed" and "a report was submitted", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a report was filed

Uses 'filed' instead of 'made', implying the report was officially submitted.

a report was submitted

Emphasizes the act of handing in the report.

a statement was issued

Suggests a formal announcement or declaration was created.

an account was given

Highlights the provision of information or details.

notification was provided

Focuses on the act of informing someone about something.

a complaint was lodged

Specifies that the report was a formal grievance.

an observation was recorded

Emphasizes the documentation of a specific event or detail.

a finding was documented

Highlights the act of formally registering the outcome of an inquiry.

an assessment was conducted

Indicates that a process of evaluation was carried out and results were recorded.

a declaration was registered

Implies a formal and official recording of a statement.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "a report was made" to sound more active?

To make the sentence more active, specify who created the report. For example, instead of "a report was made", you could say "the committee submitted a report" or "the investigator "prepared a report"".

What is a formal alternative to "a report was made"?

A more formal alternative is "a report was submitted". This phrasing emphasizes the official act of delivering the report.

Is it better to use active or passive voice when saying "a report was made"?

While the passive voice ("a report was made") is grammatically correct, using the active voice can often make your writing clearer and more direct. For instance, "the team compiled a report" is more active and specifies who did the work.

What does it mean when "a report was made"?

It means that a formal document providing information about something has been created and possibly submitted to a relevant authority or recipient. It indicates that an account, statement, or assessment has been formally documented.