documents were sent

USAGE SUMMARY

"documents were sent" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe an action that happened in the past, for example: "Yesterday, documents were sent to the local government office for review."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

A number of other documents were sent or copied to senior managers at head office.

The Economist

The documents were sent anonymously to Public Citizen, the Washington-based consumer group, which made them public.

The New York Times

The cooperation of all Eastern ordinaries (bishops, patriarchs, and others having jurisdictions) was requested, and the drafts of the various documents were sent to them.

Encyclopedia Britannica

(Mercer claims CAAT's confidential documents were sent to him anonymously in a brown paper envelope. CAAT are continuing legal proceedings against him).

The Guardian

In response, thousands of e-mail messages were deleted, and dozens of trunks full of documents were sent to the shredders.

The New York Times

Ellis: Now 58,000 documents were sent or communicated by you – as editor-in-chief of the Guardian you caused them to be communicated, and they contained a wealth of information.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

Yesterday, a copy of the message, among other documents, was sent to the committee.

The New York Times

"Thirty-one flight schools were written to by e-mail with a request that documents be sent to a group of Arab students who were interested in flight training," Mr. Nehm said.

The New York Times

The major business processes for treatment of documents are as follows: Documents are sent by citizens as private individuals.

Vietnam Journal of Computer Science

Require that documents be sent to you directly from the buyer's certified public accountant.

Forbes

Finally, completed documents are sent to third-party service providers like payroll and benefits brokers.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In legal or official contexts, ensure the method of sending documents is documented (e.g., "via certified mail", "electronically") to maintain accountability.

Common error

Avoid relying solely on passive constructions like "documents were sent". Vary your writing by specifying the sender and receiver when relevant: "The department sent the documents to the client".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "documents were sent" functions as a passive construction, indicating that the action of sending documents occurred, with the focus being on the documents themselves rather than the sender. Ludwig confirms this usage is correct.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "documents were sent" is a grammatically sound and commonly used passive construction to indicate the action of transmitting documents. Ludwig confirms that the expression is correct and usable in written English across a variety of contexts. The phrase appears most frequently in news, scientific, and formal business settings. When using this phrase, consider specifying the sender, recipient, and method of delivery for clarity. Alternative phrases such as "papers were dispatched" or "files were transmitted" may provide more specific connotations depending on the situation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

papers were dispatched

Replaces "documents" with "papers" and "sent" with "dispatched", emphasizing the act of sending.

files were transmitted

Substitutes "documents" with "files" and "sent" with "transmitted", highlighting electronic transfer.

records were forwarded

Changes "documents" to "records" and "sent" to "forwarded", suggesting a transfer to a subsequent destination.

materials were conveyed

Replaces "documents" with "materials" and "sent" with "conveyed", indicating a more formal transfer.

information was submitted

Transforms "documents" into "information" and "sent" into "submitted", focusing on the act of providing data.

correspondence was mailed

Replaces "documents" with "correspondence" and "sent" with "mailed", specifying postal delivery.

the report was issued

Changes the structure to focus on a specific "report" being "issued", rather than general documents.

data was transferred

Shifts from physical documents to "data" being "transferred", emphasizing electronic conveyance.

the application was lodged

Focuses on the specific case of an "application" being "lodged", changing the context slightly.

communications were directed

Replaces documents with broader "communications" and specifies that they were "directed" to a destination.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "documents were sent" to be more specific?

To be more specific, you can replace "documents were sent" with phrases that specify the method of delivery, such as "documents were emailed", "documents were mailed", or "documents were faxed" depending on the context.

What is a more formal alternative to "documents were sent"?

A more formal alternative could be "documents were dispatched" or "materials were conveyed", which adds a sense of official procedure.

Is it better to use active or passive voice with "documents were sent"?

While "documents were sent" is grammatically correct, using the active voice can often make your writing clearer and more direct. For example, instead of "documents were sent", you could say "The sender sent the documents".

What's the difference between "documents were sent" and "documents are sent"?

"Documents were sent" indicates a past action, meaning the documents have already been sent. "Documents are sent" indicates a present or habitual action, meaning the documents are currently or regularly being sent.