meetings were held

USAGE SUMMARY

"meetings were held" is a grammatically correct sentence in written English.
You can use it when you are referring to meetings that have already happened in the past. For example: "Last week, three meetings were held to discuss the company budget."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

Meetings were held.

The New York Times - Sports

Most meetings were held in churches.

The New York Times

Meetings were held secretly, illegally.

The Guardian - Travel

"Some preliminary meetings were held.

The New York Times

Three plenary meetings were held, each with a specific theme.

Forest Ecology and Management

Hundreds of public meetings were held.

The New York Times

Warnings were issued, meetings were held.

The New York Times

Meetings were held and questions honed.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

3 human-written examples

"A task force was set up, meetings were held.

Vice

Team meetings were held on a weekly basis.

BMC Palliative Care

Monthly clinical-pathological meetings were held to compare clinical and autopsy diagnoses.

Critical Care

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "meetings were held" to clearly and concisely state that meetings took place in the past, especially when the focus is on the meetings themselves rather than who organized them.

Common error

Avoid unnecessarily rewriting "meetings were held" in the active voice (e.g., "organizers held meetings") if the focus is on the meetings themselves and the actor is unimportant or unknown. The passive voice is appropriate when the action is more important than the actor.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "meetings were held" functions as a passive voice construction indicating that meetings occurred. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness. It clearly communicates the occurrence of meetings without specifying who held them.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

47%

News & Media

45%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "meetings were held" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to indicate that meetings have occurred. It's versatile, suitable for both formal and neutral contexts, predominantly appearing in scientific and news-related sources. Ludwig AI validates its correctness. When using the phrase, consider the appropriateness of the passive voice and whether specifying the actors involved is necessary. Alternatives like "meetings took place" offer ways to express the same idea with a slightly different emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

meetings took place

Emphasizes the action of meetings occurring, replacing the passive voice with an active one.

meetings occurred

Similar to "meetings took place", but uses a different verb to describe the meetings happening.

sessions were conducted

Replaces "meetings" with "sessions", suggesting a more formal or structured gathering.

conferences convened

Suggests larger, more formal meetings with a specific purpose.

gatherings were organized

Highlights the planning and arrangement of the meetings, using "gatherings" as a broader term.

symposiums were staged

Implies a formal academic or professional meeting focused on a specific topic.

discussions were carried out

Focuses on the exchange of ideas and conversations that occurred during the meetings.

consultations transpired

Implies a series of formal discussions, especially for problem-solving or decision-making.

deliberations ensued

Suggests lengthy and careful discussions, often related to important decisions.

talks were arranged

Uses a more informal term, "talks", to refer to the meetings, emphasizing the conversational aspect.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "meetings were held"?

You can use alternatives like "meetings took place", "sessions were conducted", or "discussions were carried out" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "meetings were held" or "meetings took place"?

Both "meetings were held" and "meetings took place" are grammatically correct and widely used. The choice depends on style and emphasis; the former is passive, while the latter is active.

When is it appropriate to use the passive voice "meetings were held"?

The passive voice is suitable when the action (meetings) is more important than the actor or when the actor is unknown or irrelevant. For example, "Meetings were held to discuss the budget."

What's the difference between "meetings were held" and "a meeting was held"?

"Meetings were held" indicates multiple meetings, while "a meeting was held" refers to a single meeting. For example, "Meetings were held every week" versus "A meeting was held last Friday".