it was surprised

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it was surprised" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to convey that something experienced surprise, but it lacks clarity and proper grammatical structure. Example: "The cat was surprised when the door suddenly opened."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

55 human-written examples

The youth movement Rebel, which organized the protests that forced Morsi's ouster, said on its Facebook page that it was surprised by the decree.

Los Angeles Times

Fiat said it was surprised by the inquiry into its Luxembourg arm, which sought a ruling from tax authorities there regarding transfer pricing in 2012.

The Guardian

In a statement, MBIA said that it was surprised by Moody's action and that its capital position had improved.

The New York Times

The Dutch government said it was surprised by the commission's finding that its tax arrangement with Starbucks amounted to illegal state aid.

The Guardian - Business

The SFA said it was surprised by the verdict and would consult its legal advisers.

BBC

The SFA said it was surprised by the Court of Session verdict and would consult its legal advisers.

BBC

It was surprised by 9/11.

The New York Times

It was surprised by Hurricane Katrina.

The New York Times

It was surprised when Hamas won the Palestinian election.

The New York Times

It was surprised not to find weapons of mass destruction.

The New York Times

It was surprised by the insurgency in Iraq.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to organizations or groups, verify that using "it" is appropriate. Consider revising to "they" for clarity and grammatical accuracy, or rephrase to include the name of the group to avoid the issue altogether.

Common error

Avoid using "it" when referring to entities that should logically be considered plural. If "it" sounds awkward, revise the sentence to use the plural pronoun "they" or explicitly name the entity to avoid pronoun issues.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it was surprised" functions as a subject-verb-adjective construction. However, according to Ludwig, this construction is often incorrect because "it" typically refers to an inanimate object or a situation, which cannot experience surprise. While Ludwig provides examples, it also indicates grammatical concerns.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The analysis reveals that while the phrase "it was surprised" is frequently used, particularly in news and media contexts, it is grammatically questionable. Ludwig AI points out that the construction is often incorrect because "it" usually refers to inanimate objects or situations, which cannot experience surprise. Better alternatives include rephrasing to use the adjective 'surprising' to describe the event, or revising the sentence to accurately reflect the entity experiencing the surprise. While common, particularly in the news, careful attention should be given to grammatical accuracy to ensure clear and correct communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

they were surprised

Changes the subject from singular "it" to plural "they", which requires a plural verb conjugation.

he/she was surprised

Replaces the impersonal "it" with personal pronouns "he/she", which would refer to a person instead of an entity or thing.

I was surprised

Replaces the impersonal "it" with personal pronoun "I", to express a personal experience.

we were surprised

Changes the subject from singular "it" to plural "we", which requires a plural verb conjugation.

it was astonished

Substitutes "surprised" with "astonished", providing a stronger synonym with the same grammatical structure.

it was taken aback

Replaces "surprised" with "taken aback", which implies a more forceful reaction.

it came as a surprise

Restructures the sentence to emphasize the unexpected nature of the event.

it found itself surprised

Adds a reflexive element to emphasize self-awareness or unexpected feeling.

it had not expected

This alternative emphasizes the lack of anticipation or expectation.

it hadn't anticipated

Expresses a lack of prior knowledge or preparation for an event.

FAQs

When is it appropriate to use "it was surprised"?

The phrase "it was surprised" is often grammatically incorrect. It's more appropriate to say something was surprising or someone was surprised. Always verify that the subject logically supports the verb and adjective.

What can I say instead of "it was surprised"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "it was astonished", "it was taken aback", or "it came as a surprise".

Is "it was surprising" a better alternative to "it was surprised"?

Yes, "it was surprising" is generally a better alternative. "Surprising" describes the nature of something, while "surprised" describes a state of being. Therefore, use "surprising" to describe an event or situation.

How do I use 'surprised' correctly in a sentence?

Ensure the subject experiencing the surprise is a person or an entity capable of feeling emotions. If describing something causing surprise, use 'surprising' instead. For example, 'I was surprised by the news', or 'The news was surprising'.