information were incomplete

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "information were incomplete" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form should be "information was incomplete" since "information" is an uncountable noun. Example: "The report was delayed because the information was incomplete."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Some important clinical and demographic information were incomplete or missing from the medical case records.

BMC Pediatrics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Sometimes, the information was incomplete or the handwriting illegible, officials said.

The New York Times

These discrepancies usually occur because the visual information is incomplete and the brain has to fill in the gaps.

The Guardian

Floyd, The main problem that you are citing – that information is incomplete – is the very reason that we had concerns with Fitch and the model it uses.

The New York Times

But the Education Ministry had not provided the data to the prime minister's office because, it said, the information was incomplete.

The New York Times

Information was incomplete on which banks might have issued the swaps and could be vulnerable to losses, creating an extra element of risk.

The New York Times

Census Battle The court heard a lively argument today in a dispute between Utah and North Carolina over the method used in the 2000 census to attribute residents to 620,000 addresses that could not be verified or for which information was incomplete.

The New York Times

Information is incomplete and asymmetric.

Journal of Industrial Engineering International

Our detector misses one object because the information is incomplete.

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

I could hardly shortlist based on the pictures and the information was incomplete.

TechCrunch

We define the asymmetric information as follows: (1) Information is incomplete and asymmetric.

Journal of Industrial Engineering International

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the singular verb "was" with the noun "information" as it is an uncountable noun. For example, "The information was incomplete" is grammatically correct.

Common error

Avoid using plural verb forms like "were" with singular uncountable nouns such as "information". Using "were" suggests that "information" is plural, which is incorrect.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "information were incomplete" attempts to describe a state of deficiency. However, it's grammatically incorrect because "information" is an uncountable noun and should be paired with the singular verb "was". As Ludwig AI points out, the correct form is "information was incomplete".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "information were incomplete" is grammatically incorrect. "Information" is an uncountable noun and requires the singular verb "was". Therefore, the correct phrasing is "information was incomplete". While the intended meaning is generally understood, it's crucial to use the correct grammatical structure, particularly in formal or professional contexts. As Ludwig AI confirms, using the correct verb form ensures clarity and credibility in your writing. You can also consider alternative phrasings such as "data was incomplete" or "details were lacking".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the information was not complete

Changes plural "were" to singular "was" to agree with the singular noun "information".

the data was incomplete

Replaces "information" with "data" which is also uncountable, and corrects the verb conjugation.

the details were lacking

Replaces "information" with "details" and changes the verb to "were lacking" indicating absence.

there was missing information

Restructures the sentence to emphasize the absence of information.

the report was lacking details

Focuses on a specific document (report) and states that it lacked details.

the facts were not fully available

Replaces "information" with "facts" and indicates a lack of availability.

some details were missing

Emphasizes that a portion of details is absent.

essential data was absent

Highlights the absence of crucial data.

the record was not fully detailed

Indicates that a specific record lacks complete details.

the particulars were sketchy

Uses "particulars" instead of "information" and describes them as "sketchy", implying incompleteness.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "information were incomplete"?

The correct phrasing is "information was incomplete". "Information" is an uncountable noun and therefore takes a singular verb.

Is it ever correct to use "were" with "information"?

No, "information" is an uncountable noun and always requires a singular verb form. Therefore, "information were" is grammatically incorrect.

What can I say instead of "information were incomplete"?

You can use alternatives like "the information was not complete", "the data was incomplete", or "the details were lacking" depending on the context.

What's the difference between "information was incomplete" and "data were incomplete"?

"Information" is generally treated as a singular, uncountable noun, while "data" can be treated as either singular or plural, depending on style. However, in formal writing, "data were incomplete" is acceptable if referring to multiple data points.