believed remained

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "believed remained" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to express a belief that something continues to exist or persist, but the construction is awkward and unclear. Example: "She believed remained a mystery to everyone involved."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

It is unlikely, however, that a detainee who the Americans believed remained a threat would reach a trial in the near term unless there was substantial evidence against him.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

One of his closest advisers suggested to me that McMaster believed remaining a general would insulate him from political pressure, by underscoring his separateness.

The New Yorker

But whether Mr. bin Laden himself was holed up in a cave here, as American intelligence officials have said they believe, remained a mystery today.

The New York Times

"But things in contracts should, I believe, remain private".

The Guardian - Sport

Fewer than half the emissions, scientists believe, remain airborne to warm the earth.

The New York Times - Science

For the British, he believes, remain the strongest champions in Europe of a liberal approach to commerce and politics.

The Economist

Thirty years on, the couple still share an office, and still believe remaining independent is the way to go.

The Guardian - Books

"I don't believe remaining newspapers will sign up to Ipso in its current form," he said.

The Guardian

The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, defended his leader, saying Jeremy Corbyn was aware the British public was "basically Eurosceptic to a certain extent but believes remain is the best thing".

The Guardian

It will provide student unions with support, including briefings on why it believes remaining in the EU could help higher education.

The Guardian

Nor did they believe remain's warnings of the dangers of a leave vote, some too crude to impress anyone, some from foreign VIPs like Barack Obama.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "believed remained" in formal writing. Opt for clearer and grammatically correct alternatives like "was believed to remain" or "thought to have remained".

Common error

A common mistake is to use "believed remained" as a shortcut for expressing a continuing belief. Instead, ensure the verb "remain" is correctly conjugated and connected to "believed" using "to remain" or a similar construction.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "believed remained" functions as an incorrect attempt to combine a past participle with a past tense verb to express a continuing belief. Ludwig AI identifies this usage as grammatically flawed.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "believed remained" appears in some sources, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase's structure doesn't follow standard English grammar rules. To convey the intended meaning—that something was thought to continue existing—it's best to use alternatives like "was believed to remain" or "thought to have remained". These alternatives ensure grammatical correctness and clarity. Although the phrase may occasionally appear in informal contexts like news articles or general discussions, adhering to correct grammatical structures is vital for formal writing. The correct alternatives ensure clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

thought to have remained

Replaces "believed" with "thought" and restructures the sentence for better flow.

believed to still be

Adds "still be" to emphasize the continuing state.

was believed to remain

Uses a passive construction to shift the focus.

considered to have remained

Substitutes "believed" with "considered", implying a more formal assessment.

presumed to have remained

Replaces "believed" with "presumed", suggesting an assumption.

thought it remained

Simplifies the structure while retaining the core meaning.

believed it to still remain

Adds "still" for emphasis, though the construction is slightly redundant.

believed to be still present

Uses "still present" to convey the idea of continuation.

held the belief that it remained

Expresses the belief more explicitly.

maintained that it remained

Emphasizes the persistence of the belief.

FAQs

What's grammatically wrong with "believed remained"?

The phrase "believed remained" is grammatically incorrect because it improperly combines a past participle with a past tense verb. A correct alternative would be "was believed to remain".

How can I use "believed remained" correctly in a sentence?

It's generally advised to avoid "believed remained". Instead, restructure the sentence to use phrases like "was believed to remain", which is grammatically sound.

What can I say instead of "believed remained"?

You can use alternatives like "thought to have remained", "believed to still be", or "was believed to remain" depending on the context.

Is there a subtle difference in meaning between "believed remained" and "was believed to remain"?

While "believed remained" is grammatically incorrect, "was believed to remain" conveys the idea that something was thought to continue existing. Using the passive voice makes the sentence grammatically correct and clearer.