as we began

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "as we began" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer back to the starting point of a discussion, process, or activity. Example: "As we began our journey, we were filled with excitement and anticipation for what lay ahead."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

As we began talking, he seemed defensive.

The New Yorker

"Shush!" warned Dick as we began.

The Guardian

And then, as abruptly as we began, we were done.

The New Yorker

"I love the city," he said as we began walking.

The New Yorker

I remembered that as we began to cross.

The Guardian - Books

But as we began to win the atmosphere was different.

The Guardian - Sport

As we began to march we were all called to a collective moment of silence.

Yale University

As soon as we began working on the hardware design, we had to consider design tradeoffs.

Cornell University

"Don't touch anything," Forcier advised me as we began to walk through the factory at A123.

The New York Times - Magazine

As we began to taxi, our seat-back TV screens flicked on.

The New York Times

As we began our harvest, a woman named Liz approached us in the field.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure the context following "as we began" logically connects to the initial action or state being described. Avoid abrupt shifts in subject or tense.

Common error

Avoid using "as we began" as a mere introductory filler. Ensure it introduces a significant event or context, not a trivial detail. Keep a focus on what is most important and what follows.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "as we began" functions as a temporal conjunction, marking the commencement of an event or action. It introduces a dependent clause that provides context or sets the stage for the main clause. Ludwig provides various examples demonstrating its use in different sentence structures.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Academia

28%

Science

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Reference

5%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "as we began" functions as a temporal conjunction, setting the scene or providing context at the start of an event or action. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and widespread use in both formal and informal writing. It is most commonly found in "News & Media" and academic contexts. When writing, ensure that "as we began" introduces a relevant and significant action or state to maintain clarity and avoid redundancy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

at the start

Simple and direct, referring to the beginning.

as we commenced

More formal synonym for 'began', indicating a formal start.

from the beginning

Emphasizes the entire period from the start onwards.

when we initiated

Highlights the act of initiating or starting something.

once we started

Highlights the point after the start has occurred.

upon our commencement

More formal and emphasizes a structured start.

when we set out

Implies starting a journey or endeavor.

at the inception

Highlights the initial stage or outset of something.

in the starting phase

More descriptive, focusing on the initial phase of activity.

from the get-go

Informal, emphasizes the very beginning and initial conditions.

FAQs

How can I use "as we began" in a sentence?

You can use "as we began" to introduce the start of an activity, process, or narrative. For example, "As we began our research, we encountered several unexpected challenges".

What phrases are similar to "as we began"?

Similar phrases include "when we started", "as we commenced", or "at the start", each carrying a slightly different nuance in formality and context.

Is it correct to say "as we begin" instead of "as we began"?

While "as we began" refers to a past event, "as we begin" suggests an action that is starting presently or in the near future. The choice depends on the intended timeframe of the sentence.

What's the difference between "as we began" and "after we began"?

"As we began" indicates simultaneous actions or states, while "after we began" implies a sequence where something happens after the start. For example, "As we began the experiment, we observed immediate changes" versus "After we began the experiment, we collected data for analysis".