contacted by

USAGE SUMMARY

"contacted by" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It can be used when a person or organization has been in communication with someone else. For example: "We were contacted by the local museum about a possible collaboration."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Economists contacted by The Agenda agreed.

The New York Times

Other residents contacted by telephone denied this.

The New York Times

"I was contacted by the KGB.

The Guardian

Has he been contacted by Operation Weeting?

The Guardian - Opinion

Fadil said she was contacted by Fede.

The Guardian

The manufacturer has been contacted by email.

The Guardian

Darby has not been contacted by Chelsea.

The New York Times - Sports

She can be contacted by e-mail.

Nature

Potential survey participants were initially contacted by telephone.

Biological Control

Participants will be contacted by Tuesday, September 11 , 2018

Harvard University

She can be contacted by email at [email protected]

Yale University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "contacted by" when you want to emphasize that someone initiated communication with the subject. For instance, "The author was "contacted by" several publishers after the book's success."

Common error

Avoid using prepositions other than "by" after "contacted". It's incorrect to say "contacted to" or "contacted with".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "contacted by" functions as a passive construction, indicating that the subject received communication initiated by someone else. Ludwig confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Science

36%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

"Contacted by" is a versatile phrase used to indicate that someone has received communication, as validated by Ludwig. It functions grammatically as a passive construction and is suitable for neutral contexts, commonly found in News & Media, Science, and Academic writing. Ludwig provides numerous examples demonstrating its correct usage. While alternatives like "reached out to" and "got in touch with" exist, "contacted by" is a direct and widely accepted way to convey that communication was initiated by someone else. Remember to avoid using incorrect prepositions like "to" or "with" after "contacted". The frequency of this expression is very common and its semantic validity is high.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

reached out to

Emphasizes the act of initiating communication.

got in touch with

Highlights the establishment of communication.

made contact with

Emphasizes the action of establishing communication.

was in communication with

Focuses on the state of ongoing communication.

communicated with

A more formal way of saying "contacted by".

heard from

Indicates receiving information or a response from someone.

corresponded with

Implies communication through letters or email.

connected with

Implies a less formal and possibly digital connection.

was notified by

Highlights the act of being officially informed.

was approached by

Suggests an initial proposition or request.

FAQs

How can I use "contacted by" in a sentence?

"Contacted by" is used to indicate that someone has initiated communication with someone else. For example, "The witness was "contacted by" the police for questioning."

What is a formal alternative to "contacted by"?

A more formal alternative is "communicated with", which is suitable for professional or academic contexts.

Is it correct to say "contacted to" instead of "contacted by"?

No, it is not correct. The correct preposition to use with "contacted" in this context is "by". The phrase "contacted by" indicates who initiated the contact.

What's the difference between "contacted by" and "reached out to"?

"Contacted by" indicates that someone received communication, while "reached out to" emphasizes the act of initiating the communication. "The customer was "contacted by" support" focuses on the customer, while "Support reached out to the customer" focuses on the support team's action.