it was a crap

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it was a crap" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form would be "it was crap" or "it was a piece of crap." Example: "After watching the movie, I realized it was crap and not worth my time."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

"It was a crap flight.

The Guardian - Film

It was a crap building in the first place, and it became too costly to maintain.

Independent

"It was a crap shoot and I lost," said Mr. Goehring, 45, who is a former wrestling coach and the father of a college-age son and teenage daughter, and who now sometimes needs help getting out of chairs.

The New York Times

It was a crap song.

Vice

"Many starters played briefly or were nursing little injuries,but it was a crap performance,my apologies," Irsay wrote.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Someone's done some maths and it turns out it's a crap plan asking the country to pay off its John Lewis store cards.

The Guardian

It is a crap journey down.

The Guardian - Sport

"Now, it's a crap shoot".

The New York Times

"It's a crap shoot," he said.

The New York Times

"It's a crap shoot," one defense attorney told me.

The New York Times - Magazine

Like I say, it's a crap choice.

The Guardian - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

While "it was a crap" appears in informal contexts, it's grammatically incorrect. Opt for "it was crap" or "it was a piece of crap" for better clarity and grammatical accuracy.

Common error

Avoid using the article "a" directly before "crap" as an adjective. The correct usage is to either omit the article (e.g., "it was crap") or use the phrase "a piece of crap".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it was a crap" functions as a descriptive statement, intending to express a negative evaluation or assessment of something. While grammatically incorrect, it aims to convey that something was of poor quality or undesirable. Ludwig AI indicates the grammatically correct form is either "it was crap" or "it was a piece of crap".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Wiki

17%

Science

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it was a crap" is an informal and grammatically incorrect way to express that something was of poor quality. While it appears in some news and media sources, Ludwig AI indicates that it is better to use either "it was crap" or "it was a piece of crap" for grammatical correctness. For more formal contexts, alternatives like "it was substandard" or "it was unsatisfactory" are more appropriate. Although understandable in casual conversation, avoiding this phrase in formal writing is advisable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it was terrible

Replaces "crap" with a more general term for poor quality.

it was awful

Similar to 'terrible', expressing a strong negative feeling.

it was rubbish

Uses a British English term for something of poor quality.

it was garbage

Uses another common term for something worthless or of poor quality.

it was substandard

Emphasizes that something did not meet the required level of quality.

it was unsatisfactory

Highlights that something failed to meet expectations or requirements.

it was a disaster

Emphasizes the failure and negative consequences of something.

it was a letdown

Focuses on the disappointment caused by something not meeting expectations.

it was a waste

Highlights the wasted time, effort, or resources associated with something.

it was poorly done

Indicates that something was executed with low quality or skill.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say something was of poor quality?

You can say "it was crap" or "it was a piece of crap". The phrase "it was a crap" is grammatically incorrect.

Are there alternatives to saying something is "crap"?

Yes, you can use words like "terrible", "awful", "rubbish", or "garbage". Depending on the context, you might also consider "substandard" or "unsatisfactory".

Why is "it was a crap" considered grammatically incorrect?

The word "crap" is being used as an adjective in this context, and adjectives typically don't follow the article "a" unless part of a set phrase like "a piece of crap".

Is "it was crap" formal or informal?

"It was crap" is considered informal. For more formal situations, you might choose phrases like "it was substandard" or "it was unsatisfactory".