it was a successfully

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it was a successfully" is not correct in written English.
The correct form would be "it was a success" or "it was successful." Example: "After months of hard work, it was a success, and the project exceeded all expectations."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

It was a successfully product, like, you made the company $1 billion in just a few months.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

"Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-Blooey!" isn't a dumb record by a dumb band; it's a successfully simple record by a smart band.

The New Yorker

"It was a pretty heavy negotiation, but they successfully convinced them," Lezhnev said.

The Guardian

It was a master stroke by Democrats, who successfully urged quick action lest the unruly Republicans stop the vote.

The New York Times

But it will be a successfully restored Everglades, because it will have recovered those hydrological and biological patterns which defined the original Everglades, and which made it unique among the world's wetland systems.

Wikipedia

Whereas AGTR2 hasn't been a target for cancer drug development, it has been a successfully exploited target for the development of hypertension drugs [ 24].

BMC Cancer

It's a brilliant campaign successfully bringing the world's attention to the plight of penguins, raising much-needed funds in the process.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Because the two activities requiring attention (the maneuver and talking) interfere with one another, it is a challenge to successfully complete the two simultaneously.

Huffington Post

It's a cunning choice that successfully furnishes him with a disguise in the flight from his own "we".

The New York Times - Books

It's not easy to be a successfully ambidextrous REIT like Vornado.

Forbes

If the Washington and Colorado experiments proceed successfully, it's a certainty that other states will follow.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the success of something, use the adjective "successful" instead of trying to modify a noun with the adverb "successfully". For example, say "it was successful" not "it was a successfully".

Common error

Avoid using adverbs like "successfully" to directly modify nouns. Adverbs typically modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. To describe something's success, use an adjective like "successful" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it was a successfully" is grammatically incorrect. The correct structure requires an adjective after "a" to describe the noun it modifies. Ludwig AI indicates that this phrase violates standard grammar rules. The intended function is to describe a past event as having a successful outcome.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it was a successfully" is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI flags this usage as violating standard grammar rules. The correct form requires using the adjective "successful" instead of the adverb "successfully". While attempts to use the phrase occur across various contexts, including News & Media, Science, and Wiki sources, its infrequency and grammatical incorrectness suggest avoiding it in favor of grammatically sound alternatives like ""it was successful"" or ""it was a success"". These alternatives ensure clear and effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it was a successful

Replaces the adverb "successfully" with the adjective "successful" to correctly describe the noun.

it was a triumph

Uses "triumph" as a noun to express a high degree of success, avoiding the grammatical issue.

it was a victory

Employs "victory" as a noun to indicate success, circumventing the incorrect adverb usage.

it was quite successful

Adds "quite" to modify the adjective "successful", correctly describing the degree of success.

it was remarkably successful

Uses "remarkably" to emphasize the adjective "successful", providing a grammatically sound alternative.

it was undeniably successful

Uses "undeniably" to reinforce the adjective "successful", ensuring grammatical correctness.

it proved successful

Replaces "was a" with "proved", maintaining a similar meaning while correcting the grammar.

it turned out successful

Employs "turned out" to express the result, using the correct adjective form.

it was a hit

Uses a more informal noun phrase to convey the idea of success.

it was a winner

Employs "winner" as a noun to indicate success, bypassing the original grammatical issue.

FAQs

Why is "it was a successfully" grammatically incorrect?

The phrase "it was a successfully" is incorrect because "successfully" is an adverb and cannot directly modify the noun implied after "a". The correct form would use the adjective "successful".

What's a better way to say "it was a successfully"?

Instead of "it was a successfully", you can say "it was successful", "it was a success", or "it proved successful".

Can I use an adverb after "it was a"?

Generally, no. After "it was a", you typically need a noun or an adjective that describes the subject. Using an adverb like "successfully" in this context is grammatically incorrect.

How does the meaning change when using "successful" instead of "successfully"?

Using "successful" as in "it was successful" describes the state or outcome of something. Using "successfully" in the incorrect phrase "it was a successfully" attempts to modify an implied noun, which is grammatically flawed. The correct way to use "successfully" is to modify a verb, for example "it was completed successfully".