it was bought

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of a sentence "it was bought" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing any time something was purchased, either recently or in the past. Example: She told me that the new car she bought was a great deal; it was bought from a dealer two towns away.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Today it was 50.

Forbes

First it was E4.

The Guardian

By June it was 47.8m.

The Economist

I believe it was 32C.

BBC

It is 10am.

Huffington Post

On highways, it is 110kph.

WikiHow

It was 10 grand.

The New York Times

It was 66 yards.

The New York Times - Sports

It was 6 o'clock.

The New York Times - Magazine

It was 104 degrees.

The New York Times

It was 1 P.M.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "it was bought" to clearly and simply state that something was purchased in the past, without specifying who made the purchase. This is useful when the buyer is unknown or irrelevant.

Common error

Avoid overuse of the passive voice. While "it was bought" is grammatically correct, excessive use of passive constructions can make your writing sound weak or evasive. Consider rewriting the sentence in the active voice if appropriate, for example, "Someone bought it."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it was bought" functions as a statement in the passive voice. This construction allows the speaker or writer to focus on the item that was bought rather than the person or entity who bought it. It's a way of describing a past event.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it was bought" is a grammatically sound passive voice construction used to indicate that a purchase occurred. While Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability, the absence of specific examples in the search results suggests it's a basic phrase with common-sense usage. When writing, be mindful of the passive voice and consider if an active voice construction would be more effective. Although the phrase is neutrally formal and correct, aim to use a active form to enrich the content.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it was acquired

Replaces "bought" with "acquired", suggesting a more formal or business context.

it was purchased

Uses "purchased" instead of "bought", which is a more formal synonym.

it was obtained

Replaces "bought" with "obtained", indicating a general means of acquiring something.

it was secured

Implies the item was acquired, often after some effort or competition.

it came into possession

A more formal and descriptive way of saying something was acquired.

someone bought it

Changes the sentence structure to active voice, specifying that someone made the purchase.

a buyer bought it

Adds emphasis by adding that the buyer is explicit and made the purchase

it changed hands

Emphasizes the transfer of ownership from one party to another.

possession was taken of it

Very formal and somewhat archaic way of saying something was acquired.

it was bartered for

Indicates that the item was acquired through bartering rather than a monetary purchase.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "it was bought" to emphasize who made the purchase?

To emphasize the buyer, you can use active voice constructions such as "Someone "bought it"" or "A customer "bought it"".

What's the difference between "it was bought" and "it was purchased"?

While both phrases mean the same thing, "purchased" is generally considered more formal than "bought". Use "it was "purchased"" in formal or business contexts.

Is "it was boughten" a correct alternative to "it was bought"?

"Boughten" is an archaic form of "bought" and is rarely used in modern English. "It was "bought"" is the correct and commonly used form.

What are some situations where using "it was bought" is most appropriate?

"It was "bought"" is appropriate when the buyer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from the context. It's also useful when you want to focus on the item itself rather than the act of purchasing.