besides there were

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "besides there were" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to introduce additional information or reasons in a discussion or argument. Example: "Besides, there were many other factors to consider before making a decision."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Sculpture, too, was out of the question because it took up even more space than painting, and, besides, there were no materials.

The New York Times - Arts

Congress and the president had far more latitude when they acted in the name of military necessity; besides, there were only so many places where the federal government enjoyed virtually unchallenged jurisdiction over slavery.

The New York Times

Far from where the daily, relentless fighting was going on, he pointed out, Radcliff was probably less disposed to take gratuitous violence in stride; besides, there were infinitely more people at the division base, and that gave him a better chance of finding the effective ally he needed.

The New Yorker

Besides, there were better fights to come.

The New Yorker

Besides, there were no vacant theaters.

The New York Times - Arts

Besides, there were other prospects at the disco.

The New York Times

Besides, there were at least three different styles of pizza.

The New York Times - Magazine

Besides, there were seven minutes left in the game.

The New York Times - Sports

Besides, there were diminishing returns to that kind of labor".

The New York Times

Besides, there were "a hundred talented people" with PhDs and publications who could take his place.

The Guardian

Besides, there were those books he wanted to get written, those books still left to read.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "besides there were" to smoothly introduce additional facts, reasons, or details that support your argument or narrative. It is particularly effective when you want to add information that might not be immediately obvious or expected.

Common error

Avoid starting multiple consecutive sentences with "besides" as this can make your writing sound repetitive. Instead, vary your introductory phrases with alternatives like "furthermore", "moreover", or "in addition".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "besides there were" functions as a conjunctive adverbial phrase. It serves to introduce additional information, reasons, or circumstances that supplement or support a previous statement. Ludwig confirms its correct usage in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "besides there were" is a versatile and grammatically sound phrase used to introduce supplemental information. As confirmed by Ludwig, it's appropriate for various contexts, from news articles to scientific reports, though it appears most frequently in News & Media and Science. When using this phrase, be mindful of over-repetition and consider varying your sentence structure with synonyms like "in addition there were" or "moreover there were" to maintain clarity and engagement in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in addition there were

Replaces "besides" with "in addition", maintaining the additive meaning.

additionally there were

Substitutes "besides" with "additionally", providing a direct synonym.

furthermore there were

Uses "furthermore" as a more formal substitute for "besides", indicating an extension of the previous point.

moreover there were

Employs "moreover" to add extra emphasis to the additional information.

there were also

Reverses the order and uses "also" to introduce additional items or points.

along with that, there were

Highlights that the new information accompanies the previous information.

as well as there being

Changes the structure to include "as well as", emphasizing the existence of something else.

aside from those, there were

Indicates that the new information is separate from, but related to, what was mentioned before.

apart from that, there were

Introduces a slightly different angle, setting aside the previous point before adding another.

on top of that, there were

Adds an informal emphasis indicating something additional to what has already been mentioned.

FAQs

How can I use "besides there were" in a sentence?

Use "besides there were" to introduce additional facts or reasons that support your main point. For example, "The event was a success; "besides there were" many positive reviews, attendance exceeded expectations."

What are some alternatives to "besides there were"?

You can use alternatives like "in addition there were", "furthermore there were", or "moreover there were" to add extra information or points.

Is it grammatically correct to start a sentence with "besides there were"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct to start a sentence with "besides there were" as "besides" functions as an adverbial conjunction introducing additional information.

What's the difference between "besides there were" and "in addition there were"?

While both phrases introduce additional information, "besides there were" often implies a slightly stronger or more unexpected addition compared to the more neutral "in addition there were".