found it instrumental

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "found it instrumental" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when expressing that something has been helpful or significant in achieving a particular outcome or goal. Example: "I found it instrumental in improving my productivity to set clear daily goals."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

When patients would define health goals that are too difficult or too easy to reach, GPs found it instrumental that the programme would provide appropriate feedback, and advice the participants to adapt their goal to a more attainable or challenging goal: "Would it be an idea to also include feedback on extremely difficult goals?

BMC Family Practice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

As in the previous sections, in order to derive the channel identifiability conditions, we find it instrumental to first explore the rank condition on A for the single OFDM symbol case and then extend the results to multiple pilot OFDM symbols.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

However, we find it instrumental to discuss a simplified analysis.

Bioinformatics

Mr. J was interviewed about his performance on the instrumental learning task: "I found it quite easy to learn the right buttons to press.

American Journal of Psychiatry

In our "utilitarian" world, he claims, we find it difficult to abandon "instrumental thinking," and argues, drawing on Aristotle, Plato and Moritz Schlick, that humans should always aim to engage in activities and with individuals for their intrinsic value.

The New York Times

The instrumental musicians find it very hard, because we don't have any formal music schools in Pakistan.

Los Angeles Times

Listen exclusively below to the original instrumental mix, or find it on Youtube.

Vice

You may find it easier to relax if you play some gentle music while you self hypnotise, so find something instrumental, without words.

WikiHow

At a time when "the ultimate, most sublime values have retreated from the public sphere" [Weber 1919/1946, 155], Weber found an instrumental value in nationalism insofar as it can imbue patriotic feelings among the otherwise apathetic citizenry and thereby increase their participation in public affairs.

SEP

"I want the electronics to have the same flexibility, complexity and sensibility as I've found in instrumental music," Mr. Manoury said in his studio at Ircam, the computer-music center in Paris.

The New York Times - Arts

In this way he emerged from behind the anonymity of the recording process and impressed his personality on all who heard him, even those who found most instrumental jazz to be unapproachably abstract.

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "found it instrumental" to clearly indicate that something played a crucial role in achieving a specific outcome. For example, "I found it instrumental in improving my productivity to set clear daily goals."

Common error

While "found it instrumental" is grammatically correct, it can sound overly formal in casual conversations or informal writing. Opt for simpler alternatives like "found it helpful" or "found it useful" to maintain a more natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "found it instrumental" functions as a predicate adjective phrase, indicating that the subject considered something to be a crucial factor. As Ludwig AI indicates, this phrase expresses that something has been helpful or significant in achieving a particular outcome or goal.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

46%

News & Media

21%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

9%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "found it instrumental" is a grammatically correct expression used to highlight the crucial role of something in achieving a specific outcome. As Ludwig AI confirms, it expresses that something has been helpful or significant in achieving a particular outcome or goal. It is more commonly used in formal contexts such as science, news, and business, and can be replaced with alternatives like "considered it vital" or "deemed it essential" to vary your writing. While valid, be mindful of its formality and choose simpler phrases for informal settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

considered it vital

Replaces "found" with "considered" and "instrumental" with "vital", emphasizing the importance of something.

deemed it essential

Substitutes "found" with "deemed" and "instrumental" with "essential", highlighting necessity.

recognized its importance

Uses a more explicit structure to convey that something's significance was acknowledged.

acknowledged its role

Focuses on the part something played, replacing "instrumental" with a direct reference to function.

regarded it as crucial

Emphasizes the critical nature of something, replacing "instrumental" with "crucial".

perceived it as significant

Highlights the perceived importance, changing both verb and adjective.

saw it as indispensable

Indicates something was viewed as irreplaceable or absolutely necessary.

believed it to be key

Simple restatement highlighting that it was believed to be a key element.

determined it was helpful

Uses a more direct and simple adjective to indicate usefulness.

identified it as valuable

Focuses on the worth or merit of something.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "found it instrumental" in a sentence?

You can replace "found it instrumental" with alternatives such as "considered it vital", "deemed it essential", or "recognized its importance depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "found it instrumental"?

Yes, the phrase "found it instrumental" is grammatically correct and conveys that something was crucial or helpful. Ludwig AI confirms this is a valid and usable phrase.

What's the difference between "found it instrumental" and "found it helpful"?

"Found it instrumental" implies that something was a key factor in achieving a specific outcome, while "found it helpful" simply means it provided assistance. The former suggests a more significant role.

When should I use "found it instrumental" versus simpler alternatives?

Use "found it instrumental" in formal or professional contexts where you want to emphasize the crucial role something played. In informal settings, "found it helpful" or "found it useful" might be more appropriate.