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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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it was charges

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it was charges" is not correct in English.
It seems to be a grammatical error, possibly intended to convey something about charges in a past context. Example: "It was charges that led to the investigation."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Film

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

It was charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice.

News & Media

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

But it was charged.

And not because it was charging.

News & Media

Independent

The neither/nor construction with two singular elements is singular; make it "was charged".

News & Media

The New York Times

From the moment the teams arrived, it was charged with significance.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has now decided that it was, charging Goldman on Friday.

News & Media

The New York Times

It was charged that Nash's alleged homosexuality was airbrushed out of the film.

News & Media

BBC

Clinging to its old profit margins, it is charging more to businesses than to individual consumers.

News & Media

Forbes

But it's charged.

Increasingly, it is charging for them.

News & Media

The Economist

I just think it's charged".

News & Media

The New Yorker
Show more...

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to legal accusations, use grammatically correct phrases such as "charges were filed" or "it involved charges" to maintain clarity and credibility in your writing.

Common error

Ensure that the verb agreement matches the noun form; use "charges were" instead of "it was charges" to properly reflect that "charges" is a plural noun requiring a plural verb.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

94%

Authority and reliability

2.5/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function is to attempt to identify the subject or reason behind an action or situation, but due to grammatical incorrectness, it doesn't fulfill it effectively. Ludwig AI indicates a grammatical issue. A correct form would be "charges were filed".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Science

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "it was charges" appears in some contexts, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing would be "charges were filed" or "it was accusations", as suggested by Ludwig. Using grammatically sound alternatives ensures clarity and maintains credibility in both formal and informal communication. Given Ludwig AI's evaluation, it's best to avoid this phrase in favor of its corrected counterparts.

FAQs

What is a grammatically correct alternative to "it was charges"?

A grammatically correct alternative is "charges were filed", which uses a passive construction to properly convey that charges have been made.

How can I use "charges" correctly in a sentence?

Ensure the verb agrees with the plural noun "charges". For example, use "The "charges were" serious" instead of "The charge was serious" if referring to multiple charges.

What does it mean when someone says "charges were filed"?

It means that formal accusations have been presented in a legal setting, initiating a process where someone is officially accused of a crime or wrongdoing. Other options are: "prosecution involved" or "counts were".

What's the difference between saying "it was charges" and "it was accusations"?

"It was accusations" is grammatically better because "accusations" is plural, aligning with the plural sense intended. "It was charges", although less grammatically sound, might still be understood in context but should be avoided in formal writing.

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Source & Trust

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Authority and reliability

2.5/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: