could not be established

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "could not be established" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when indicating that a certain fact, relationship, or condition was not able to be determined or confirmed. Example: "The cause of the malfunction could not be established despite thorough investigation."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

This leads to the re-establishment of the route which ultimately could not be established.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

Under these circumstances, his innocence was not and could not be established beyond any doubt.

The New Yorker

* The circumstances surrounding the 18-month delay in producing the billing records could not be established.

The New York Times

Significant differences between the two spheronizers could not be established.

Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

A surface free from oxide and hydroxide could not be established at any potential.

Electrochimica Acta

Conclusion: Therapeutic equivalence of ANDY-Disc to UltraBag could not be established with respect to peritonitis.

American Journal of Kidney Diseases

Collaboration requires communication, but it may happen that it could not be established for some reason.

Robotics and Autonomous Systems

However, for the years the trend implied by these differences could not be established.

Applied Water Science

Despite of the anharmonicity of the potential, normal heat conduction (Fourier's law) could not be established.

Nanoscale Research Letters

However, the scope of the actor could not be established for roughly half of the claims.

Comparative Migration Studies

In women, however, such an association could not be established [127].

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "could not be established", ensure that the context clearly indicates what specific fact, relationship, or condition was impossible to determine or confirm. This improves clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "could not be established" when an active voice construction would be clearer and more direct. For instance, instead of "The cause could not be established by the team", consider "The team could not establish the cause" to emphasize the actor and the action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "could not be established" functions as a declarative statement indicating the absence of proof, confirmation, or creation. It expresses a lack of ascertainment, as confirmed by Ludwig, where the examples show the phrase used in various contexts to denote something that was not possible to determine.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

78%

News & Media

13%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Academia

2%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "could not be established" is a versatile expression used to indicate that something could not be proven, confirmed, or created. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and commonly used across various domains, particularly in science, news, and formal business contexts. While alternatives like "could not be confirmed" or "could not be determined" exist, the choice depends on the specific nuance you wish to convey. When using this phrase, clarity is key: ensure the context clearly defines what specific element was impossible to establish, and be mindful of choosing between active and passive voice for the most effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

could not be confirmed

Replaces "established" with "confirmed", focusing on the lack of validation.

could not be proven

Substitutes "established" with "proven", highlighting the absence of evidence.

could not be determined

Uses "determined" instead of "established", emphasizing the inability to ascertain.

could not be verified

Replaces "established" with "verified", stressing the lack of validation.

was unable to be established

Adds "was unable" for emphasis, highlighting the failure to establish.

failed to be established

Uses "failed" to indicate the unsuccessful attempt to establish.

it was not possible to establish

Rephrases to emphasize the impossibility of establishing something.

establishment was not possible

Changes the sentence structure to focus on the impossibility of establishment.

proof could not be found

Shifts focus to the lack of proof rather than the act of establishing.

no evidence was found

Emphasizes the absence of evidence to support the establishment.

FAQs

How can I use "could not be established" in a sentence?

Use "could not be established" to indicate that something could not be proven, confirmed, or determined. For example: "The link between the two events "could not be established" due to lack of evidence."

What can I say instead of "could not be established"?

Alternatives include "could not be confirmed", "could not be proven", or "could not be determined", depending on the specific context.

Is it better to say "could not establish" or "could not be established"?

"Could not establish" is active voice, while "could not be established" is passive. The better choice depends on whether you want to emphasize the actor or the action. If the actor is unimportant or unknown, passive voice is acceptable.

What does it mean when something "could not be established"?

It means that despite efforts to prove, confirm, or determine something, it was not possible to do so based on the available information or methods.