it was error

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it was error" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form would typically be "it was an error." Example: "During the review, it was an error that led to the incorrect conclusion."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

38 human-written examples

In an unsigned opinion, without dissent, the court said the petition filed by the defendant, Paul A. Dye, had been sufficiently precise in its allegation of prosecutorial misconduct and "it was error for the Court of Appeals to conclude otherwise". The case was Dye v. Hofbauer, No. 04-8384.

The New York Times

None suggests that a court should pass on the constitutionality of this kind of statute "on its face". It was error for the Court of Appeals to make such a determination in this case.

Cornell University

Markman appealed, arguing it was error for the District Court to substitute its construction of the disputed claim term 'inventory' for the construction the jury had presumably given it.

Cornell University

At first it was error strewn.

Independent

If there was error in the ruling it was error of the court.

Cornell University

It was error to reinstate the jury’s $145 million punitive damages award.

Cornell University

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

22 human-written examples

Last week, a Centrelink compliance officer blew the whistle on widespread faults with the new compliance system, saying it was error-prone and grossly unfair to welfare recipients.

The Guardian

It was able to access a handful of online services for making restaurant reservations, buying movie tickets, and booking taxis, but it was error-prone and never made a big hit with users.

MIT Technology Review

"It was 17-17 for a long time and it was error-strewn from us in the second half having struggled with a bit of ill-discipline, but we managed to get a bit of field position in the last 10 minutes".

The Guardian - Sport

"It was 17-17 for a long time and it was error-strewn from us in the second half having struggled with a bit of ill-discipline, but we managed to get a bit of field position in the last 10 minutes". "We put ourselves in a position to win the game and we're really disappointed we didn't make the most of those opportunities.

BBC

It seems it has all transpired from human, as it were, error.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to something that contains errors, consider using adjectives like "incorrect", "erroneous", or "inaccurate".

Common error

A common mistake is omitting the article "a" or "an" before "error" or "mistake". Always include the article for grammatical correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it was error" functions as a statement identifying the presence of an error. However, it is grammatically incomplete. As Ludwig AI indicates, the correct form requires an article, such as "an" or "a."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Academia

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it was error" is grammatically incorrect in standard English. As Ludwig AI explains, the correct forms are "it was an error" or "it was a mistake". While the phrase appears in a few sources, its usage is limited and should be avoided in formal writing. The alternative phrases provided offer grammatically sound ways to express the same idea. Always ensure the inclusion of the article "a" or "an" when using "error" or "mistake" in a sentence. The correct usage enhances clarity and credibility in communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it was a mistake

Uses "mistake" instead of "error" and includes the article "a" for grammatical correctness.

it was an error

Includes the article "an" to correctly form a noun phrase.

it was incorrect

Replaces "error" with the adjective "incorrect" to describe the situation.

there was an error

Restructures the sentence to start with "there was" and uses the correct article "an".

it was erroneous

Uses the adjective "erroneous" to describe something containing error.

that was a mistake

Uses "that" to refer to a specific past action and replaces "error" with "mistake".

that was an error

Uses "that" to refer to a specific past action and uses "an" before error

it was a flaw

Substitutes "error" with "flaw", indicating an imperfection or fault.

it was inaccurate

Uses the adjective "inaccurate" to describe something not precise or correct.

it was a fault

Replaces "error" with "fault", indicating a responsibility for a mistake.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say "it was error"?

The correct phrasing is either "it was "it was an error"" or "it was a "it was a mistake"". The inclusion of the article "an" or "a" makes the sentence grammatically correct.

Can I use "it was error" in formal writing?

No, "it was error" is not appropriate for formal writing. Use the correct form: "it was "it was an error"" or "it was a "it was a mistake"".

What are some alternatives to "it was error"?

You can use phrases like "it was "it was incorrect"", "it was "it was erroneous"", or "it was "it was inaccurate"" depending on the specific context.

Is there a difference between saying "it was an error" and "it was a mistake"?

While both phrases are grammatically correct, "it was "it was an error"" is often used in more formal or technical contexts, whereas "it was a "it was a mistake"" is generally more informal.