former find

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "former find" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to refer to a previous discovery or item that was found, but the phrasing is awkward and unclear. Example: "The former find in the archaeological dig was later deemed significant."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

It's a pointer to a healthier relationship between services like Spotify and musicians, where the former find more ways to help the latter make money by pointing fans towards tickets, merchandise, box-sets, crowdfunding campaigns and so on.

The Guardian - Tech

The former find that ethnic diversity helps raise TFP in Danish firms operating in trade-intensive sectors, suggesting that diaspora externalities may explain the link.

IZA Journal of Migration

You could also think of it as an improved version of the Mac's former Find File command, the name by which its own help files refer to it.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The former finds the fairway, the latter a buggy parked in some trees down the left.

The Guardian - Sport

While members of the former found their focus via a candidate, the latter have no champion.

The Guardian - Opinion

The former found a slick, sleek polish sharply at odds with the Gondry aesthetic.

The Guardian - Arts

A high ball from the former finds the latter free in the box, but he Bodes the ball and Kahn collects.

The Guardian - Sport

The former finds US comedy website Splitsider asking that hardy perennial question about right-wing comedy – in this case, Why does every conservative Daily Show fail?

The Guardian

The former finds sequential patterns without considering the relationships between transactions in databases, while the latter finds inter-transaction patterns without considering the ordered relationships of items within each transaction.

Expert Systems with Applications

The former, found a positive effect of the total emigration rate on democracy and civil liberties in the origin country while the latter showed that international migration results in a transfer of fertility norms from host to migrants' home countries.

IZA Journal of Migration

The buckling shapes of nanorings with odd numbers of units and even numbers of units are also investigated, with the former found to be symmetrical and the latter unsymmetrical.

Carbon

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "former find" in formal writing. Opt for clearer alternatives like "previous discovery" or "earlier find".

Common error

Using "former find" can sound unnatural. Instead, specify what was previously found. For example, instead of "The former find was significant", write "The earlier discovery of the artifact proved significant".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "former find" functions as a noun phrase, attempting to describe something previously located or discovered. However, Ludwig AI points out that the phrasing is awkward and unclear, which means it's not considered standard English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "former find" is understandable, Ludwig AI considers it an awkward and non-standard phrasing. It's attempting to describe something that was previously discovered, with usage seen in both news and scientific contexts. However, it's better to use clearer alternatives like "previous discovery" or "earlier find", especially in formal writing. Its infrequent usage suggests avoiding this term for clarity and grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

previous discovery

Replaces "find" with "discovery" to emphasize the act of finding something previously unknown.

earlier find

Replaces "former" with "earlier" for a more straightforward temporal reference.

past finding

Uses "finding" as a noun to describe a result from the past.

prior discovery

Synonymous with "previous discovery", focusing on the temporal order.

previous locating

Highlights the act of finding something from the past.

historical find

Emphasizes the historical significance of the item found.

old find

A simpler and more direct way to indicate that something was found long ago.

past discovery

Highlights that something has already been discovered.

early discovery

Focuses on the timing, suggesting the discovery occurred at an early stage.

initial discovery

Highlights that this was the first discovery.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to "former find"?

Consider using "previous discovery", "earlier find", or "past finding" for better clarity.

Is "former find" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "former find" is not the most grammatically sound or widely accepted phrasing. It's better to use more common alternatives for improved clarity.

How can I use "previous discovery" instead of "former find" in a sentence?

Instead of "The former find was crucial", try "The "previous discovery" was crucial to our understanding of the site".

When is it appropriate to use "former find"?

It's generally best to avoid "former find" in formal contexts. If you must use it, ensure the context makes the meaning clear, but a more standard alternative is generally preferable.