left in need of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "left in need of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where someone or something is in a state of requiring assistance or support. Example: "After the storm, many families were left in need of shelter and food."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

So, I'm left in need of a good book on the cold chain.

University of California, Berkeley

Some 100,000 were left in need of assistance: several villages and thousands of hectares of farmland were washed away.

The Economist

More than a million people were left in need of food and supplies after the country's worst natural disaster in 80 years.

Independent

These are precarious times when citizens are left in need of care from a government that appears to care for itself before anything else.

The Guardian - Opinion

For weeks after the terrorist attacks, secretaries at the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and press officers at the city's Administration for Children's Services could hardly answer the telephone without hearing from people who had read news of the "many," "hundreds," even "thousands" of orphans left in need of a home by the Sept. 11 disaster.

The New York Times

In the 20 seconds that followed the initial shock, freeways were tossed in the air and left as rubble, bridges brought to their knees, multi-storey carparks tipped on their side, 300,000 homes left in need of repair, and countless office blocks, shops, factories, schools, colleges and even hospitals so damaged that they had subsequently to be declared unsafe.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

If you're going to the screening tonight (rush tickets available here), it's a pretty safe bet that you're going to leave in need of a beer and a fun environment to nurse your concept of reality back to health.

Vice

Though none of these attempts was successful, they will have left women in need of advice and feeling scared, intimidated and uncertain who to turn to.

The Guardian - Opinion

The delay lasted for nearly a year and left CancerVax in need of more money.

The New York Times - Science

The magnitude 7.0 M earthquake destroyed more than 250,000 buildings and left millions in need of emergency aid.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The accident robbed Rich of his memories and left him in need of round-the-clock care.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "left in need of", ensure the context clearly establishes who or what caused the state of need. This adds clarity and impact to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "left in need of" excessively in passive constructions where the actor is obscured. Active voice often provides a more direct and engaging narrative.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "left in need of" functions as a post-modifier, typically describing the resulting state of a noun or pronoun after a specific event or situation. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is a grammatically correct construction.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Academia

20%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "left in need of" is a grammatically correct and usable expression, as confirmed by Ludwig AI, employed to describe a state of requiring assistance as a consequence of a specific event. It appears most frequently in neutral contexts, particularly in News & Media. While not exceedingly common, it conveys a clear and impactful message. When using this phrase, ensure you define the cause. Alternatives such as "in need of assistance" or "requiring aid" can be used, depending on the desired nuance. Pay attention to active versus passive voice to avoid obscured actors.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in need of assistance

Replaces "left" with a more direct statement of needing help.

requiring assistance

Focuses on the necessity of assistance, removing the "left" aspect.

in a state of requiring aid

More formal and emphasizes the condition of needing aid.

dependent on help

Highlights the dependency on external support.

in dire need of

Emphasizes the urgency and severity of the need.

needing urgent support

Highlights the immediacy of the required support.

lacking essential resources

Focuses on the deficiency of necessary resources.

in a vulnerable position

Shifts the focus to the state of vulnerability and needing protection.

abandoned and vulnerable

Highlights both the abandonment and the need of support.

forsaken and requiring aid

Emphasizes the feeling of abandonment and the necessity of help.

FAQs

How can I use "left in need of" in a sentence?

You can use "left in need of" to describe a situation where someone or something is in a state requiring assistance. For example, "The earthquake "left millions in need of aid"".

What are some alternatives to "left in need of"?

Alternatives include "in need of assistance", "requiring assistance", or "dependent on help", depending on the specific context.

Is it better to use "left in need of" or "in need of"?

The choice depends on context. "Left in need of" implies a prior event caused the state of need, while "in need of" simply describes the current state.

What does it mean when someone is "left in need of" something?

It means that due to some event or circumstance, they now require something essential, such as assistance, resources, or support, that they didn't necessarily require before.