competition was held

USAGE SUMMARY

The sentence "Competition was held" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when referring to an event, such as a sporting event, where people compete against each other. For example, "The competition was held in the school gymnasium and the winner was announced at the end of the day."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

An open architectural competition was held.

The New Yorker

The competition was held on June 7th 2004.

Stanford University

The competition was held on Friday June 9th, 2006.

Stanford University

The competition was held on Monday, June 9th, 2008.

Stanford University

The competition was held at Convene in the Financial District.

Cornell University

The competition was held over the weekend in duPont Gymnasium.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A design competition was held, and Gehry's firm was selected.

The Washington Post

The competition was held in extremely cold temperatures.

The New York Times - Sports

An architectural competition was held to choose the plans.

The New York Times

The eighth annual competition was held last month.

The New York Times - Tech

A separate competition was held for junior women.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When the organizers are more important than the event itself, consider changing the sentence to active voice i.e. "The organizers held the competition".

Common error

Avoid using "competition was held by itself" without providing context. Make sure to clarify where and when the competition was held to ensure clear communication.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "competition was held" functions as a passive construction indicating that a competitive event occurred. It is grammatically correct, as confirmed by Ludwig AI, and is commonly used to report on past events.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Academia

30%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Science

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "competition was held" is a grammatically correct and frequently used passive construction indicating that a contest or event took place. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. Its primary function is to inform, and it maintains a neutral register suitable for various contexts including news, academia, and encyclopedias. While commonly used, consider using active voice when the focus is on the organizers rather than the event itself. Alternatives such as "the competition took place" offer similar meanings with slight variations in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the competition took place

Replaces the passive voice with an active voice construction using 'took place'.

the competition occurred

Substitutes 'held' with 'occurred', maintaining a formal tone.

the competition transpired

Replaces 'held' with 'transpired', adding a slightly more formal or literary tone.

the competition was conducted

Replaces 'held' with 'conducted', emphasizing the organization and execution of the event.

the competition unfolded

Uses 'unfolded' to describe the progression and development of the competition.

the competition commenced

Replaces 'held' with 'commenced', indicating the beginning or start of the competition.

the competition materialized

Substitutes 'held' with 'materialized', highlighting the realization of the event.

the competition was staged

Replaces 'held' with 'staged', suggesting the event was carefully planned and presented.

the competition came to pass

Uses a more idiomatic expression to convey that the competition happened.

the tournament was played

Specifically uses 'played' in the context of a tournament, focusing on the act of competing.

FAQs

What does "competition was held" mean?

The phrase "competition was held" means that a contest or event in which people or teams compete against each other took place. It indicates that the event happened at a specific time and location.

How can I rephrase "competition was held" to sound more active?

To make the sentence more active, you can use phrases like "the competition took place" or "organizers held the competition". This shifts the focus to the actors involved.

Is it better to say "competition was held" or "competition took place"?

Both "competition was held" and "competition took place" are correct. The choice depends on the desired emphasis. "Competition was held" focuses on the event, while "competition took place" also emphasizes the action of competing.

What's the difference between "competition was held" and "competition was conducted"?

"Competition was held" simply states that the competition happened. "Competition was conducted" implies that the competition was organized and managed in a specific way.