must be attributed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "must be attributed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the necessity of giving credit or recognition to a source or author for their work or ideas. Example: "All quotes and ideas taken from other authors must be attributed to their original sources to avoid plagiarism."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Some of this itinerancy must be attributed to the sheer scope of the wreckage Obama inherited.

The New York Times - Magazine

A fair amount of this must be attributed to his appearance.

The New Yorker

A significant part of that increase must be attributed to drug prohibition.

The Guardian - Opinion

The paper's integrity guidelines say that facts gathered by any other organization must be attributed.

The New York Times

But while much of the blame must be attributed to Cameron, far greater social forces are at play.

The Guardian - Opinion

"We could have had a real stable, progressive majority and any chaos must be attributed to his preferencing".

The Guardian

And while much of this must be attributed to race, it must also be acknowledged that Obama's middle-class message dovetailed with black voters' wider interests.

The Guardian - Opinion

And part of that success must be attributed to the aggressive fund-raising, organizing and outreach efforts of the party chairman, Joseph A. Ferriero.

The New York Times

The prevailing wisdom among many intellectuals has been that evil has nothing to do with human nature and must be attributed to political institutions.

The New York Times - Books

The slackness of the prose, then, must be attributed not to Roth's senescence, but to the demands of writing under an assumed identity.

The Guardian - Books

Much of their success must be attributed to quarterback Harrington, who threw for 22 touchdowns, including 6 against Arizona State and 4 against U.S.C.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "must be attributed", ensure that the attribution is supported by evidence and that the source is credible.

Common error

Avoid attributing every minor detail to a specific source. Over-attribution can clutter your writing and distract from the main points.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "must be attributed" functions as a passive voice construction, indicating that something requires assignment or credit to a specific source or cause. Ludwig AI shows this phrase frequently in academic and news contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

34%

News & Media

32%

Encyclopedias

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

1%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "must be attributed" is a grammatically correct and very common passive construction used to emphasize the necessity of assigning credit or causality to a particular source. Ludwig AI confirms its widespread use across diverse contexts, including science, news, and encyclopedias. The phrase typically appears in neutral to formal registers, underlining the importance of precise attribution. When using "must be attributed", it is crucial to support the attribution with credible evidence and avoid over-attributing minor details. Alternatives like "should be credited" or "needs to be acknowledged" can be used depending on the desired level of emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

should be credited

Changes the degree of obligation from "must" (necessity) to "should" (recommendation) and uses "credited" instead of "attributed".

needs to be acknowledged

Replaces "must be" with "needs to be" emphasizing necessity and uses "acknowledged" to highlight recognition.

can be ascribed to

Substitutes "attributed" with "ascribed", implying assignment of a quality or characteristic.

is due to

Indicates causation or reason, similar to "because of" or "owing to".

is caused by

Directly states that something is the reason or origin of an event or situation.

stems from

Suggests that something originates or arises from a particular source or cause.

can be traced to

Implies finding the origin or source of something by following a path or series of connections.

is to be blamed on

Focuses specifically on assigning blame or responsibility for a negative outcome.

is a result of

Emphasizes the outcome or consequence of something.

is a consequence of

Highlights the result or outcome as a direct effect, shifting from assigning credit to indicating causality.

FAQs

How can I use "must be attributed" in a sentence?

The phrase "must be attributed" is used to indicate that something needs to be credited or assigned to a specific source or cause. For example, "The increase in sales must be attributed to the new marketing campaign."

What can I say instead of "must be attributed"?

You can use alternatives like "should be credited", "needs to be acknowledged", or "is due to" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "must be attributed"?

It is appropriate to use "must be attributed" when you want to emphasize the necessity of giving credit or recognizing the source of something, especially in formal or academic writing.

What is the difference between "must be attributed" and "can be attributed"?

"Must be attributed" indicates a definite and necessary assignment, while "can be attributed" suggests a possibility or potential assignment that is not necessarily confirmed.