my former students

USAGE SUMMARY

"my former students" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to people who have been taught or mentored by you at some point in the past. For example: "I'm so proud of my former students and the successes they have achieved since leaving my class."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

My former students, most of whom teach at middle schools in small cities, are also of this generation.

The New Yorker

TWO of my former students got me thinking about women and humor.

The New York Times - Books

By John Edgar Wideman I hear from my former students occasionally.

The New Yorker

If so, my candidate for the perfectly rational man is K., one of my former students.

The New York Times - Magazine

"One of my former students said he used very expensive condoms.

The New York Times

The group offered me a few thousand dollars to start a program for my former students.

The New York Times - Magazine

So irrelevant, in fact, that I doubt whether most of my former students will bother to vote.

The Guardian

I wish my former students could reconnect -- with being 10, with what they once learned, with forgotten friends.

The New York Times

After I had been teaching for a couple of years, one of my former students contacted me.

The New York Times

All my former students were here [California] and then left and then joined the Judson Theater experiment, so it felt historically like a good thing to do.

The New York Times - Arts

I can hear my former students asking "Why a swan?" I try to anticipate that scepticism and answer it with humour.

The Guardian - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to "my former students", consider adding a specific detail or achievement to provide context and make your statement more impactful. For example, "my former students, now leading experts in their fields".

Common error

Ensure clarity by specifying the context in which they were your students. Saying "my former students" without further explanation may leave the audience wondering about the timeframe or subject.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "my former students" functions as a determiner phrase, specifically a possessive determiner phrase, identifying a group of individuals who were previously students of the speaker. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is grammatically sound and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

30%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "my former students" is a grammatically correct and frequently used phrase to describe individuals whom someone has previously taught or mentored. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is suitable for various contexts, ranging from news and media to formal business settings. While the register is generally neutral to professional, it's crucial to provide specific details about the timeframe or subject to avoid ambiguity. Alternatives like "my past pupils" or "students I previously taught" can be considered for nuanced expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

my ex-students

Uses a shorter, more casual synonym for "former".

students I used to teach

Rephrases the idea using a verb phrase to describe the past teaching relationship.

students I previously taught

Substitutes "former" with "previously taught" for a slightly more formal tone.

my alumni

Implies a collegiate or institutional setting; less personal.

past students of mine

Changes the sentence structure while retaining the core meaning.

students from my previous classes

Highlights the class-based aspect of the relationship.

those I used to teach

Uses a pronoun to refer to the students, suitable when the context is already clear.

my past pupils

Uses 'pupils,' which is a more formal or British English alternative to 'students'.

students I have mentored

Emphasizes a mentoring relationship rather than just teaching.

my onetime students

Uses "onetime" as a synonym for former, which is slightly less common.

FAQs

How can I use "my former students" in a sentence?

You can use "my former students" to refer to individuals you previously taught or mentored, such as, "I am proud of "my former students" and their accomplishments."

What is a more formal way to say "my former students"?

A more formal alternative to "my former students" could be "my past pupils" or "students I previously taught" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "my old students" instead of "my former students"?

While "my old students" is understandable, ""my former students"" is generally preferred as it's clearer and more professional. "Old" can sometimes imply age rather than a past relationship.

What's the difference between "my former students" and "my current students"?

"My former students" refers to individuals you taught in the past, while "my current students" refers to those you are presently teaching.