badly written

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "badly written" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a written work that has poor grammar, spelling, or structure. Example: "I had a hard time understanding the article because it was badly written."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

A well-written slating is always more interesting than a badly written, well-meaning review".

The Guardian

It was so badly written.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Are most romance novels badly written?

The Guardian - Books

Riall dismisses Garibaldi's memoirs as "undeniably badly written".

The New Yorker

Sittenfeld is not wrong that romance can be badly written.

The Guardian - Books

Creative writing – identify badly written stories with these examples.

The Guardian

He calls Darwin's "Origin of Species" "badly written catlap".

The New York Times - Books

Michel Houellebecq's novels are saturated with badly written sex scenes.

The Guardian - Books

A badly written book review is worse than a badly written political speech or greeting card or poem; a badly written review is self-canceling, like a barber with a terrible haircut.

The New York Times - Books

One year it's the badly written roman à clef by the assistant at Vogue, the next it's the badly written thriller yoking together international intrigue and arcane history.

The New York Times

It's very badly written, very sloppily drafted, too complex — it overreaches.

Stanford University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When critiquing writing, be specific about the flaws. Instead of just saying something is "badly written", identify the specific issues like poor grammar, unclear arguments, or weak vocabulary.

Common error

Avoid simply labeling something as "badly written" without providing constructive feedback. Explain why it's ineffective, such as pointing out run-on sentences, logical fallacies, or lack of supporting evidence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "badly written" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun to describe its quality of writing. As confirmed by Ludwig, it describes written work that has poor grammar, spelling, or structure. The examples in Ludwig showcase its use in various contexts to critique different types of written content.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "badly written" is a common and grammatically sound way to express that a piece of writing is of poor quality. As Ludwig AI confirms, it’s used to describe writing with issues like poor grammar, spelling, or structure. The examples gathered by Ludwig illustrate its widespread use in various contexts, from critiquing novels to assessing legal documents. While the phrase is generally acceptable, remember to provide specific reasons for your assessment, such as identifying run-on sentences or logical fallacies, rather than simply stating that something is "badly written". More formal alternatives, like "substandard writing", might be preferable in certain professional settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

poorly written

Direct synonym emphasizing the lack of quality in the writing.

terribly written

Emphasizes the severe degree of poor quality.

shoddily written

Implies the writing was done carelessly or hastily.

poorly crafted

Emphasizes the lack of skill and care in constructing the writing.

ineptly written

Focuses on the writer's lack of skill or competence.

weakly written

Suggests the writing lacks strength and impact.

atrociously written

Suggests an extremely offensive or appalling level of poor writing.

clumsily written

Highlights the awkward or inelegant style of writing.

badly composed

Focuses on the poor arrangement and structure of the writing.

substandard writing

A more formal way of saying the writing is below the required standard.

FAQs

How can I identify if something is "badly written"?

Look for issues like grammatical errors, unclear sentence structure, logical inconsistencies, weak vocabulary, and a lack of coherence. If the writing is difficult to understand or fails to convey its message effectively, it's likely "poorly written".

What are some alternatives to saying something is "badly written"?

You can use phrases like "poorly written", "shoddily written", "ineptly written", or "difficult to understand" depending on the specific issues with the writing.

Is it appropriate to use "badly written" in formal writing?

While "badly written" is understandable, it might be more professional to use phrases like "substandard writing" or "poorly executed" in formal contexts, as they sound less subjective.

What's the difference between "badly written" and "poorly edited"?

"Badly written" refers to fundamental issues with the writing itself, such as grammar and structure. "Poorly edited", on the other hand, suggests that the writing might be good in its base form but lacks polish due to inadequate editing for errors and inconsistencies.