discussions were held

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of a sentence "discussions were held" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a conversation that has already happened between two or more people. For example, "The committee members held several discussions to decide the budget for next year."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Discussions were held at DuPont's corporate headquarters to discuss switching to the new compound.

The New York Times - Magazine

The discussions were held on the basis of participant anonymity.

Process Safety and Environmental Protection

Initially, discussions were held with more formidable prospective opponents.

The New York Times - Sports

Political discussions were held around the dinner table.

Independent

Alongside these, focus group discussions were held to explore how outcome effects had transpired.

Patient Education and Counseling

Three focus group discussions were held with young people (n = 14).

Appetite

Post-intervention process indicators were systematically collected and focus group discussions were held.

Vaccine

To solve this problem, discussions were held with the manufacturer, leading to an improvement of the manufacturing process.

Advances in Space Research

Further open discussions were held at the end of the morning and afternoon sessions.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Two of Mr. Florio's friends said he told them that "very serious" job discussions were held.

The New York Times

And no discussions were held into any cases or things like that".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "discussions were held", ensure the context clearly indicates the purpose and participants of the discussions for maximum clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "discussions were held" without specifying who held the discussions or what the discussions were about. Providing this context enhances clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "discussions were held" functions as a passive construction used to describe a communicative event. It's a common way to report that conversations or deliberations took place, as evidenced by Ludwig's examples across varied sources.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

51%

News & Media

32%

Formal & Business

17%

Less common in

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "discussions were held" is a grammatically sound and widely used phrase for indicating that conversations or deliberations have taken place. As indicated by Ludwig, its neutral tone and passive voice make it suitable for formal reports, news articles, and academic papers. While versatile, ensuring the context clarifies the participants and purpose of the discussions is crucial. The phrase's prevalence across various sources underscores its importance as a valuable part of the english lexicon.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

meetings took place

This alternative focuses on the event itself, replacing "discussions" with "meetings" and "were held" with "took place".

conversations transpired

This phrase uses a more formal verb, "transpired", to replace "were held", and "conversations" instead of "discussions", adding a touch of formality.

talks occurred

This option uses a more concise and informal term, "talks", instead of "discussions" and "occurred" instead of "were held".

consultations were conducted

This suggests a more formal and professional setting, implying expert advice or guidance was sought.

deliberations ensued

This phrase implies a more formal and careful consideration of a matter, with "deliberations" replacing "discussions" and "ensued" replacing "were held".

dialogues unfolded

This suggests a gradual and revealing exchange of ideas, with "dialogues" replacing "discussions" and "unfolded" replacing "were held".

exchanges happened

This is a simpler way of saying discussions took place using "exchanges" instead of "discussions" and "happened" instead of "were held".

sessions were carried out

This alternative is very formal and highlights the procedural aspect using "sessions" instead of "discussions" and "carried out" instead of "were held".

panels convened

This implies a formal gathering of experts for discussion using "panels" instead of "discussions" and "convened" instead of "were held".

forums took place

This suggests a public gathering for open discussion using "forums" instead of "discussions" and "took place" instead of "were held".

FAQs

How can I rephrase "discussions were held" to sound more active?

To sound more active, you could say "the committee "held discussions"" or "the team "conducted discussions"". These options highlight who was responsible for the discussions.

What's the difference between "discussions were held" and "a meeting was held"?

"Discussions were held" implies a focus on the exchange of ideas, while "a "meeting was held"" is a more general term referring to any gathering for a specific purpose. The former is more specific about the content of the interaction.

In what contexts is it most appropriate to use "discussions were held"?

This phrase is suitable for formal reports, academic papers, or news articles when you need to neutrally describe a conversational event. Ludwig provides many examples across different contexts.

What are some synonyms for "discussions were held" that aren't as formal?

Less formal alternatives include "people "talked about"", "they "had a chat about"", or "they "exchanged ideas"", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.