left an average

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "left an average" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to describe a situation where something has resulted in an average value being left behind, but the phrasing is awkward and unclear. Example: "The recent changes in the budget left an average of $500 for each department."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

This left an average of about two a year, which was feasible.

The Guardian

Those thus primed left an average of $4.22, while the unprimed left $1.84.Exactly what Dr Norenzayan has discovered here is not clear.

The Economist

The estates of $20m and more left an average of 49% of their value to charity and 21% to heirs, the rest going in taxes.

The Economist

More than three million of the lowest-income families will be left an average of £1,350 worse off by the Government's squeeze on tax credits, new figures have disclosed.

Independent

This may explain why a recent survey by Harris Interactive found that Americans left an average of 9.2 vacation days unused in 2012 — up from 6.2 days in 2011.

The New York Times

Placing second in the survey was Michigan, which despite the well chronicled problems of the auto industry left an average estate value of just under $9 million.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Research by the Resolution Foundation found that 2.2m working households in Britain with below-median incomes were spending a third or more of disposable income on housing, leaving an average of just £135 a week for other necessities.

The Guardian - Business

The administration is now facing contempt charges for leaving an average of 90 families a night to sleep on the floors and benches of the city offices that provide entry to the shelter system, Mr. Banks said.

The New York Times

For one, Hurricane Connie in 1955 had saturated the state in August, leaving an average of 21.87 inches of rain and setting the record for the amount of rain recorded in Connecticut in one month.

The New York Times

The report projected that with a cap, property taxes could rise by an average of $229 million a year through the 2013-14 school year, even as personnel costs alone would grow by more than $1 billion a year, leaving an average annual shortfall of $814 million.

The New York Times

Each tibia was cut at mid-diaphysis using a sagittal saw and cemented with PMMA in the center of a 3-inch high piece of PVC pipe, leaving an average of 13.3 cm exposed from cement to lateral plateau.

Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Reframe sentences using "resulted in an average of" or "averaged out to" for improved clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid using "left an average" directly. Instead, clarify the subject that created that average, and focus on the final result or value by using "resulted in an average of" or similar.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "left an average" functions as part of a clause describing a result or consequence. However, as Ludwig AI points out, the phrasing is not ideal and lacks clarity. It attempts to show that a certain action or situation caused a particular average value to remain.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "left an average" appears in various sources, including news and scientific publications, it's considered grammatically awkward. Ludwig AI identifies that the phrasing is not ideal and lacks clarity. To improve your writing, consider using alternatives like "resulted in an average of" or "averaged out to", which provide clearer and more grammatically sound ways to convey the same meaning. Though understandable, using stronger options will result in stronger sentences.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

resulted in an average

Focuses on the action that caused the average to exist.

produced an average of

Highlights the creation of a specific average value.

averaged out to

Implies a calculation leading to the stated average.

came to an average of

Similar to 'averaged out to' but with a slightly different structure.

amounted to an average of

Indicates a total accumulating to the average.

yielded an average of

Suggests the average was a result or output.

showed an average of

Focuses on demonstrating or revealing the average.

maintained an average of

Indicates consistency in achieving an average.

presented an average of

Highlights the act of displaying or offering the average.

registered an average of

Suggests the average was formally recorded or noted.

FAQs

What's a clearer way to express "left an average"?

Consider using phrases like "resulted in an average of" or "averaged out to" for better clarity. For example, instead of "The changes left an average cost of $100", say "The changes resulted in an average cost of $100".

Is "left an average" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "left an average" is not the most grammatically sound phrasing. It's better to restructure the sentence to use more precise language that clearly indicates how the average was obtained. See more here "resulted in an average".

How can I rephrase a sentence using "left an average"?

Instead of saying something like "The experiment left an average time of 30 seconds", try "The experiment resulted in an average time of 30 seconds" or "The experiment's average time was 30 seconds". This is because using alternatives like "experiment resulted in an average time", makes the sentence more clear.

What's the difference between "left an average" and "yielded an average"?

"Left an average" isn't grammatically correct. "Yielded an average" is grammatically correct and suggests that the average was a result or output of a particular process or activity. For example: "The process yielded an average score of 85".