not took

USAGE SUMMARY

"not took" is not correct and usable in written English.
You could use the past tense verb "did not take" instead. For example: "I did not take the bus to work this morning because of the inclement weather."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

That event, believe it or not, took place during the very same presidential race we're having now.

The New York Times

(Rupert Murdoch, a prolific Twitter user himself and someone who links to media whether he owns it or not, took to Twitter to say: "I have nothing to do with Sky News".

The New York Times

The 441 appearances he made for the club over 12 years counted for little here as the midfielder was heckled throughout, with the set pieces that he more often than not took providing a prolonged opportunity to subject the England international to abuse.

The Guardian - Sport

I tell him why he wasn't at school but not took him to school".

BBC

"We created a lot of chances in the second half which is frustrating because we've not took them.

BBC

The crafters of the "Jurassic World" trailer, intentionally or not, took the blast from the past concept to the next level.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

Reservations not taken.

The New York Times

Not taking our fill".

Independent

Why not take both!

Independent

Reservations are not taken.

The New York Times - Food

Not taken up by Palestinians.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct auxiliary verb "did", "has", or "had" with "not" followed by the base form of the verb "take" (e.g., "did not take", "has not taken").

Common error

Avoid using "not took". This construction doesn't follow standard English grammar rules. Instead, use "did not take" to express the negative past tense.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not took" functions as a negated verb phrase. However, according to Ludwig AI, this construction is grammatically incorrect in standard English. A correct alternative is "did not take."

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

7%

Reference

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "not took" appears in various sources, including news, science and wiki articles, it is considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. As Ludwig AI suggests, the correct alternative is "did not take" or other appropriate tenses with auxiliary verbs, depending on the context. Using "not took" may be acceptable in informal settings, but it is best to avoid it in formal writing to maintain clarity and grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

did not take

Uses the correct auxiliary verb "did" to form the negative past tense.

has not taken

Expresses a completed action in the past that has relevance to the present, using the present perfect tense.

had not taken

Expresses an action completed before a specific point in the past, using the past perfect tense.

were not taking

Indicates an action that was in progress but did not occur, using the past continuous tense.

are not taking

Indicates a continuing action that isn't in progress, using the present continuous tense.

will not take

Expresses a future action that will not occur.

is not taking

Indicates an action that is not currently happening.

does not take

Expresses a general truth or habitual action that does not occur.

refrained from taking

Emphasizes a deliberate decision not to take something.

avoided taking

Suggests an effort to prevent taking something.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say something wasn't taken?

The correct way to say something wasn't taken is to use "did not take" for a simple past action. For example, "I "did not take" the bus today" is grammatically correct.

Is "not took" ever acceptable in writing?

While you might encounter "not took" in informal speech or non-standard dialects, it's generally considered grammatically incorrect in formal writing. It's best to use "did not take" or another appropriate tense with the correct auxiliary verb.

What are some alternatives to saying "not took"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like ""did not take"", "has not taken", or "had not taken" to express the idea of something not being taken. The specific phrase depends on the intended tense and meaning.

Which is correct: "not took" or "did not take"?

"Did not take" is the correct and grammatically standard form. "Not took" is considered incorrect in most contexts.