could have been altered

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "could have been altered" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to suggest that something was possible to change or modify in the past but did not happen. Example: "The final report could have been altered to include more recent data, but the deadline was too tight."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

25 human-written examples

"They've been stolen and copied, so they could have been altered.

The New York Times

The character of the final could have been altered had United been reduced to 10 men as Villa opened the scoring in the fifth minute.

The Guardian - Sport

It is not enough to show a reasonable possibility that election results could have been altered by such irregularities or inaccuracies.

The New York Times

Several election years — certainly 1960 , 1968and 2000, and arguably 1976 and 2004 — were close enough that their results could have been altered by essentially random factors.

The New York Times

"From the moment Scott chose to use ponies rather than dogs," she states, "the outcome of any race with Amundsen could have been altered only if a natural catastrophe had befallen the Norwegians".

The New York Times - Books

"It is not enough to show a reasonable possibility that election results could have been altered by such irregularities, or inaccuracies, rather, a reasonable probability that the results of the election would have been changed must be shown.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

35 human-written examples

Photographs show that the smokestack was not finished, perhaps not even started, in 1930, so the design could easily have been altered, then or later.

The New York Times

Some of the synthetic polymer materials that were used on the Hayabusa spacecraft structures could potentially have been altered through chemical and physical processes (e.g., heat, cosmic ray irradiation) during the 7 years of Hayabusa's flight in deep space.

Earth, Planets and Space

Clearly, this genotype could not have been altered by adult BMI, and it is not subject to confounding by lifestyle factors (9, 10).

European Journal of Endocrinology

Certain activities have been altered, she said.

The New York Times

The blindfolds have been altered by technology.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "could have been altered", ensure the context clearly indicates what might have caused the alteration and what the potential consequences could be. This adds depth and clarity to your statement.

Common error

Avoid vague statements using "could have been altered" without specifying what factors might have led to the alteration. Always provide context or potential causes to make your statement more meaningful and credible.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "could have been altered" functions as a modal verb phrase expressing a past possibility or speculation regarding a change or modification. It indicates that something might have been changed, but without certainty. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

32%

News & Media

32%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "could have been altered" is a modal verb phrase used to express a possible past modification or change. According to Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and applicable in various contexts. While used in both science and news media, as the examples from Ludwig demonstrate, it's important to provide context to clarify what factors might have caused the alteration. Alternatives like "might have been modified" or "may have been changed" can provide subtle shifts in meaning and emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

might have been modified

Replaces "could" with "might", suggesting a slightly lower degree of possibility and substitutes "altered" with "modified", indicating a less substantial change.

may have been changed

Replaces "could" with "may", similar to "might" in expressing possibility, and uses "changed" instead of "altered", implying a complete transformation.

potentially was modified

Emphasizes the potential for modification in the past, using "potentially" to highlight the possibility and "was modified" to suggest a passive transformation.

conceivably was amended

Introduces "conceivably", stressing the plausibility of the action, and "amended", suggesting a formal or official alteration.

possibly experienced a change

Shifts the focus to the experience of change, using "possibly" to denote chance and framing "change" as something undergone.

is it possible it was revised

Presents the idea as a question, asking whether revision occurred, which implies a more formal review and adjustment.

it's plausible it saw adjustments

Uses "plausible" to assert the believability of adjustments and "saw adjustments" to create a sense of passive reception of changes.

perhaps it underwent revisions

Employs "perhaps" to propose the idea tentatively and "underwent revisions" to suggest a more extensive process of change.

it is conceivable that it was reworked

Highlights the conceivability of a reworking, implying a significant level of modification or redesign.

it's imaginable it had been reshaped

Suggests that it's within the realm of imagination for the subject to have been completely reshaped, denoting a substantial transformation.

FAQs

How to use "could have been altered" in a sentence?

Use "could have been altered" to express a possibility that something was modified in the past. For example, "The document "could have been altered" before submission."

What can I say instead of "could have been altered"?

You can use alternatives like "might have been modified", "may have been changed", or "potentially was modified" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "could have been altered" or "could be altered"?

"Could have been altered" refers to a past possibility, while "could be altered" refers to a present or future possibility. The correct choice depends on the time frame you're referencing.

What's the difference between "could have been altered" and "was altered"?

"Could have been altered" suggests a possibility but not a certainty. "Was altered" indicates that the change definitely happened. The choice depends on whether you are expressing a possibility or stating a fact.