it used was

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it used was" is not correct in standard written English.
It appears to be a fragment and lacks clarity, making it difficult to determine its intended meaning or context. Example: "The method it used was effective in solving the problem."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

Starting with round 8 of selection, the volume of IT used was decreased in order to increase the stringency of the selection.

BioMed Research International

"The consulting firm is very well-regarded; one of the statistical methods it used was thought to be accurate at the time," said Madanat.

University of California, Berkeley

And yet a year later, when the Brooklyn district attorney's office filed a formal motion to dismiss the case, it held no one responsible, and the language that it used was bloodless.

The New York Times

And by 2011, some 80% of the water it used was recycled and sent back to local water systems, where it was used for irrigation, in other industrial purposes, or for drinking water.

The Guardian

Sales slid 17.6percentt in October from a year earlier even though the company said all the beef it used was imported from Australia, where no infected cows have been found.

The New York Times

This speech kept them to a minimum: the only direct quote it used was the "self-evident truths" line from the Declaration of Independence, which served as a unifying frame.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

The jargon it uses is dubbed "slanguage".

Independent

It is, but its uses are limited.

The New York Times

It was used; it was popular.

The Guardian - Business

It is what it used to be.

The New York Times

It's like it used to be".

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the methods or tools used by something, ensure the sentence structure is grammatically sound. Use phrases like "the method it used was..." or "it employed..." for clarity.

Common error

Avoid using the fragment "it used was" in your writing. This construction is incomplete and unclear. Always ensure your sentences have a subject, verb, and a complete thought.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it used was" functions as an incomplete sentence fragment. While examples exist in Ludwig, it's crucial to recognize that Ludwig AI flags this construction as grammatically incorrect. It needs restructuring to form a complete and meaningful sentence.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Academia

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "it used was" is frequently found, but it's grammatically incorrect. As flagged by Ludwig AI, this phrase requires restructuring to form a complete and meaningful sentence. While present in various sources, including news, science, and academia, it's best to avoid this construction in formal writing. Instead, opt for alternatives like "the method it used" or "it employed" to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness. Always prioritize grammatically sound expressions to effectively convey your intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it employed

Focuses on the action of using something, implying a deliberate choice or method.

it utilized

Similar to 'employed', but often suggests a more formal or technical context.

the method it used

Highlights the specific approach or technique that was applied.

what it used

Emphasizes the thing that was used, rather than the act of using it.

it made use of

More verbose way to say "it used", suitable for formal contexts.

it had used

Shifts the tense to past perfect, indicating that the action of using occurred before another point in the past.

it previously used

Adds a temporal element, specifying that the use occurred at an earlier time.

it leveraged

Suggests that something was used to gain an advantage or achieve a specific outcome.

it drew on

Implies using something as a resource or source of inspiration.

the instrument it used

Emphasizes the tool or device utilized for a specific purpose.

FAQs

How can I correct the phrase "it used was" in a sentence?

You can correct it by restructuring the sentence to say "the method "it used"" or replacing it with a grammatically correct alternative like "it employed".

Is "it used was" grammatically correct?

No, "it used was" is not grammatically correct. It's an incomplete phrase and doesn't follow standard English sentence structure.

What's a more formal way to express the idea behind "it used was"?

A more formal way to express the idea is to say "it utilized" or "the process "it used"" depending on the context.

What are some alternatives to "it used was" in academic writing?

In academic writing, consider using phrases like "it employed", "it applied", or "the technique "it used"". These alternatives offer greater clarity and grammatical correctness.