have been discarded

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "have been discarded" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something has been thrown away or no longer considered useful or relevant. Example: "The outdated documents have been discarded to make room for new files."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

The procedure then continues with the next nearest non-discarded neighbor and so on until all the sensor nodes have been discarded.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Victims have been discarded.

The Guardian - Sport

Furthermore, the juvenile mussels should have been discarded.

The New York Times

Other projects in the works have been discarded or delayed.

The New York Times

A hatful of old views have been discarded.

The Economist

Political conventions that had been thought immutable have been discarded.

The Economist

They would have been discarded by any IVF clinic in any country in the world.

The Guardian

Now - the two of them have been discarded by the woman!

The New Yorker

"The caucuses have been discarded," said Adnan Pachachi, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council.

The New York Times

Still, several haunting images lament the beasts that have been discarded.

The New York Times

If Dr. Kaplan had not wanted the blood, it would have been discarded.

The New York Times - Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "have been discarded", ensure the subject is clearly identified to avoid ambiguity about what was discarded and by whom. For example, clarify if 'the old policies have been discarded by the new management'.

Common error

Avoid using "have been discarded" when the active voice would be clearer and more direct. Instead of 'The evidence has been discarded', consider 'They discarded the evidence' to improve clarity and impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "have been discarded" functions as a passive verb phrase, indicating that the subject has undergone the action of being thrown away or rejected. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "have been discarded" is a versatile passive verb phrase used to indicate that something has been thrown away or rejected. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically correct and widely used across various sources, including news media and scientific publications. While generally neutral to formal in tone, more direct alternatives may sometimes be preferable for clarity. Common errors include overuse of the passive voice when active voice would improve clarity. Related phrases like "have been rejected" or "have been eliminated" offer nuanced alternatives, depending on the intended meaning. In summary, "have been discarded" is a useful and correct phrase, especially in formal contexts where the actor is less important than the action itself.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

have been disposed of

Replaces "discarded" with a more formal "disposed of", indicating a proper or managed removal.

have been rejected

Replaces "discarded" with "rejected", focusing on the act of refusal or non-acceptance.

have been eliminated

Replaces "discarded" with "eliminated", emphasizing a complete removal.

have been thrown away

Uses a more direct and literal "thrown away" in place of "discarded".

have been removed

Uses "removed" instead of "discarded", highlighting the physical act of taking something away.

have been abandoned

Changes "discarded" to "abandoned", implying a voluntary leaving behind or desertion.

have been scrapped

Substitutes "discarded" with "scrapped", suggesting something is broken or unusable.

have been phased out

Emphasizes a gradual removal or cessation of use over time.

have been superseded

Focuses on replacement rather than disposal, indicating something has been replaced by something newer or better.

have been written off

Implies that something is regarded as a failure or loss.

FAQs

How to use "have been discarded" in a sentence?

Use "have been discarded" to indicate that something has been thrown away or is no longer in use. For example, "Old files that are no longer relevant have been discarded".

What can I say instead of "have been discarded"?

You can use alternatives like "have been rejected", "have been eliminated", or "have been removed" depending on the context.

Is it better to use active or passive voice with "have been discarded"?

While "have been discarded" (passive voice) is grammatically correct, using the active voice (e.g., "They discarded...") can often make your writing more direct and impactful. Choose the voice that best suits your intended emphasis.

Which is correct, "have been discarded" or "were discarded"?

"Have been discarded" is used with plural nouns or uncountable nouns in the present perfect tense, while "were discarded" is used with plural nouns in the simple past tense. For example, "The documents have been discarded" (present perfect) versus "The documents were discarded last week" (simple past).