find unexpectedly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "find unexpectedly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing a situation where something is discovered or encountered in a surprising or unforeseen manner. Example: "While cleaning the attic, I found unexpectedly an old photo album filled with memories."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Bear in mind that trainees always surprise themselves with rotations they find unexpectedly enjoyable, and business needs are always going to be a factor.

The Guardian

They also delight in the range of idiosyncratic personalities that find unexpectedly free expression within the commercial strictures and hermetic confines of a movie studio — and, ultimately, the dramatic outcome of Eddie's exertions depends greatly on the actual personalities of the studio's celebrities, which turn out to mesh remarkably tightly with their onscreen personae.

The New Yorker

They also delight in the range of idiosyncratic personalities that find unexpectedly free expression within the commercial strictures and hermetic confines of a movie studio and, ultimately, the dramatic outcome of Eddie's exertions depends greatly on the actual personalities of the studio's celebrities, which turn out to mesh remarkably tightly with their onscreen personae.

The New Yorker

In particular, we use the Calinski-Harabasz (CH) index [19] to compare the quality of clustering, and we find unexpectedly large differences in the performance of different algorithms.

Plosone

In conclusion, we find unexpectedly that MMTV-Cre line A, one of the three widely used MMTV-Cre transgenic mouse lines generated by the Hennighausen laboratory, exhibits a severe lactation defect.

Plosone

In the present study, we find unexpectedly that hypoxia robustly induces phosphorylation and translocation of the cytosolic MAP4 to mitochondria.

Cell Death and Disease

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

But outside the lecture rooms, they found, unexpectedly, that they were enjoying themselves.

The New York Times - Health

And many Scrantonites have followed their lead, which Karam has found unexpectedly heartening.

The Guardian

They then found "unexpectedly high" polonium-210 activity in the specimens collected during the exhumation in November 2012.

The Guardian

I knew that any itinerary I planned would have to allow for changes, depending on what buildings I found unexpectedly open or closed.

The New York Times - Travel

Investigators found unexpectedly high levels of the colorless, odorless and potentially deadly gas often gathering beneath the swimming deck of houseboats.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "find unexpectedly" to highlight surprising discoveries in research findings or unexpected outcomes in narratives. This emphasizes the element of chance or unpredictability.

Common error

Avoid overuse of "find unexpectedly" in formal reports or academic papers. While acceptable, consider using more precise or sophisticated synonyms like "observe surprisingly" or "detect surprisingly" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "find unexpectedly" functions as a verb phrase modifier. It describes the manner in which something is discovered, emphasizing the surprise or lack of anticipation involved. Ludwig confirms its usability, showcasing its presence across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "find unexpectedly" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase that effectively conveys the sense of a surprising discovery. As noted by Ludwig, it appears across different types of sources, from scientific journals to news articles. While "find unexpectedly" is suitable for many contexts, in more formal settings it may be preferable to use synonyms like "observe surprisingly" or "detect surprisingly". Overall, the phrase is valuable for emphasizing the unforeseen nature of a finding and adding emphasis to the narrative.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

discover surprisingly

Replaces "find" with "discover" and "unexpectedly" with "surprisingly", slightly emphasizing the element of surprise.

encounter unexpectedly

Substitutes "find" with "encounter", suggesting a chance meeting or discovery.

stumble upon surprisingly

Replaces "find" with "stumble upon", indicating a more accidental discovery.

come across unexpectedly

Uses the phrasal verb "come across" instead of "find", conveying a similar meaning of accidental discovery.

realize surprisingly

Emphasizes the realization aspect of finding something out, rather than the physical act of finding.

observe surprisingly

Uses "observe" to highlight the act of noticing something unexpected.

notice unexpectedly

Similar to "observe", but with a slightly less formal tone.

detect surprisingly

Implies a more careful or scientific finding.

unearth surprisingly

Conveys a sense of uncovering or revealing something hidden.

uncover unexpectedly

Similar to "unearth", but slightly less dramatic.

FAQs

How can I use "find unexpectedly" in a sentence?

You can use "find unexpectedly" to describe a surprising discovery, as in "Researchers "found unexpectedly" high levels of a certain element during the experiment".

What's a more formal alternative to "find unexpectedly"?

In formal writing, consider using phrases like "observe surprisingly" or "detect surprisingly" for a more professional tone.

Is it grammatically correct to use "find unexpectedly"?

Yes, "find unexpectedly" is grammatically correct. The verb "find" is modified by the adverb "unexpectedly", indicating the manner of finding.

What is the difference between "find unexpectedly" and "unexpected finding"?

"Find unexpectedly" is a verb phrase describing the act of discovering something surprising. "Unexpected finding" is a noun phrase referring to the surprising discovery itself.