be served as a reference

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "be served as a reference" is not correct in standard written English.
It seems to be a misconstruction; a more appropriate phrase would be "to be served as a reference." Example: "The document will be served as a reference for future projects."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

Construction and Building Materials

Legal Medicine

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

An equation was deduced to calculate the flexural stiffness of corroded reinforced concrete and can be served as a reference for deflection calculation of corroded reinforced concrete beams.

Construction and Building Materials

The presented methodology can be served as a reference to the refined simulation for the fluctuating wind field in mountainous areas.

Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics

It may also be served as a reference and/or graduate text for chemical kinetics, chemical reactor analysis, and bioprocess systems engineering.

Bioprocess Engineering Kinetics, Sustainability, and Reactor Design

With this analysis, trends in forensic odontology can be observed, and we expect that these trends would be served as a reference for designing study and making training protocol for forensic odontology.

Legal Medicine

It also could be served as a reference for regional water resource planning and management and restoration and reconstruction of karst eco-environment area, and possibly a basis for better understanding the hydrological processes and sustainable development of karst area under climate change scenarios.

Geoenvironmental Disasters

Since telomerase activity is found in the majority of nasopharyngeal cancers and a subset of metaplasia, this enzyme may be served as a reference to monitoring the status of abnormal nasopharyngeal tissues.

British Journal of Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

It presents the limits of performance and is served as a reference for restricted complexity controller design.

European Journal of Control

One of the two flow cells contained immobilized hK2, while the other was served as a blank reference.

EJNMMI Research

This Cy3-labelled aRNA was served as an universal reference (see below) to provide consistent slide-to-slide and experiment-to-experiment comparability.

Plosone

The 2 × SYBR-Green I RT-PCR Master Mix (Takara, Japan) was used as labeling agent, and α-tubulin of A. mongolicus was served as an internal reference gene.

BMC Genomics

The comments seemed to stir forgotten childhood memories in Holly Wyatt, 69, the only fluent speaker present, who was serving as a living reference book.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When intending to convey that something acts as a source of information, prefer the phrasing "serve as a reference" over the less common and grammatically questionable "be served as a reference".

Common error

Avoid using "be served as a reference" as it's often a result of awkward passive voice construction. Instead, opt for active voice: "This document serves as a reference."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "be served as a reference" functions as a predicate in a sentence, indicating that something is intended or able to act as a point of information or guidance. Ludwig AI suggests that this is not the most grammatically sound phrasing and advises alternatives such as "serve as a reference".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

69%

Construction and Building Materials

6%

News & Media

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "be served as a reference" is used to describe something that functions as a source of information or guidance. However, according to Ludwig, this phrasing is not considered grammatically correct. The analysis reveals that while the intent is clear, better alternatives include "serve as a reference", "act as a reference", or "function as a reference". The phrase appears more often in scientific and technical contexts. It's important to prefer alternatives in order to maintain grammatical accuracy and clarity in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

function as a reference

Focuses on the role or purpose the subject fulfills, rather than the act of being 'served'.

act as a reference

Emphasizes the action of providing information or guidance.

serve as a guide

Highlights the guiding aspect of the reference material.

be used as a benchmark

Implies a standard for comparison, rather than general information.

provide a reference point

Focuses on offering a specific point for orientation or comparison.

offer guidance

Highlights the element of direction and advice, instead of just information.

be considered a standard

Suggests a high level of acceptance and authority.

offer insights

Indicates a deeper level of understanding and interpretation.

be looked to for direction

Emphasizes reliance on the reference for decision-making.

furnish insights

Highlights that the reference is source of deeper understanding and interpretation.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to use "be served as a reference"?

According to Ludwig, the phrase "be served as a reference" is not correct in standard written English. It's better to use "serve as a reference" instead.

What does it mean when something "serves as a reference"?

When something "serves as a reference", it means it acts as a source of information, guidance, or comparison for a particular topic or task.

How can I use "serve as a reference" in a sentence?

You can use "serve as a reference" in sentences like: "This guide will serve as a reference for new employees", or "The study served as a reference for subsequent research."

What are some alternatives to "be served as a reference"?

Instead of "be served as a reference", you can use alternatives such as "function as a reference", "act as a reference", or "serve as a guide".