point was sought

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "point was sought" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a specific idea or argument that someone was trying to establish or clarify. Example: "In the debate, the point was sought to emphasize the importance of environmental conservation."

✓ Grammatically correct

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

The New Yorker

Encyclopedia Britannica

The New York Times

Journal of Computational Physics

BMC Gastroenterology

British Journal of Cancer

Critical Care

BMC Geriatrics

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection

Huffington Post

Independent

The New York Times - Sports

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Encyclopedia Britannica

Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Modern Processes

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Critical Care

The New York Times

HIV/AIDS - Research and Palliative Care

BMC Medical Research Methodology

The New York Times

BMC Genomics

Huffington Post

Vice

The Guardian - Sport

The New York Times

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The indifference point was sought through the bisection method.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

With fable-makers like Gary, the artificiality of the material is almost always self-evident, and so is the dramatic point being sought by the story.

The New Yorker

If the test for optimality is not passed, an adjacent extreme point is sought along an edge in the direction for which the value of the objective function increases at the fastest rate.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Third Point is seeking four seats on the board to replace several departing directors.

The New York Times

Yahoo's board, which Third Point is seeking to replace, says that it's reviewing his record.

The New York Times

Third Point is seeking four seats on the board to replace several departing directors, pushing back against Yahoo's own nominees.

The New York Times

When the solution on a grid of N points is sought, our MGR method has a computational cost scaling as O log(N)), as opposed to O(N) for the best standard MG method.

Journal of Computational Physics

Outcomes at follow-up points were sought by postal questionnaire, and where that failed to elicit a response, the main outcome measure was sought by telephone.

BMC Gastroenterology

Differences over the two time points were sought using paired t-test or Wilcoxon's test, at three time points by a general linear model ANOVA.

British Journal of Cancer

Also, given that APC is a new therapeutic agent associated with significant acquisition cost, a larger treatment effect (10-point difference) was sought to justify its use.

Critical Care

Then to accomplish point 4 feedback was sought from key stakeholders in the sector to refine the list.

BMC Geriatrics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "point was sought", ensure the context clearly indicates who was seeking the point and for what purpose. Providing this clarity enhances the sentence's impact and relevance.

Common error

Avoid using "point was sought" without specifying whose point it was or the context in which it was being sought. Without this information, the sentence becomes vague and lacks impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "point was sought" functions as a passive construction, where the emphasis is on the idea or argument that someone was attempting to establish. Ludwig confirms its usability, particularly in contexts where clarification or justification is needed.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

25%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Reference

10%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "point was sought" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to describe an attempt to clarify or establish a particular idea or argument. According to Ludwig, it's versatile and appears in diverse contexts, including science, news, and encyclopedias. While not extremely formal, it is suitable for professional and academic writing. When using this phrase, ensure the context clearly indicates who was seeking the point and the purpose of the endeavor to enhance clarity and impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the goal was pursued

Changes the noun and verb while retaining the sense of actively working towards a target.

the objective was aimed for

Replaces 'sought' with 'aimed for', emphasizing directionality towards a specific target.

the purpose was intended

Focuses on the original intention or reason behind an action or statement.

the argument was advanced

Implies presenting and promoting a particular claim or viewpoint.

the intention was expressed

Highlights the communication of a specific aim or plan.

the conclusion was drawn

Refers to the process of reaching a decision or inference based on evidence.

the essence was distilled

Suggests extracting the most important or fundamental aspect of something.

the bottom line was ascertained

Focuses on identifying the most crucial or decisive factor.

the main thrust was clarified

Emphasizes making the primary direction or force of something more understandable.

the key issue was pinpointed

Refers to accurately identifying a specific and significant problem or matter.

FAQs

How can I use "point was sought" in a sentence?

You can use "point was sought" to indicate that a specific idea or argument was being pursued or clarified. For example, "In the discussion, the main "point was sought" to highlight the benefits of the new policy."

What's a good alternative to "point was sought"?

Alternatives include phrases like "goal was pursued", "objective was aimed for", or "purpose was intended", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

What is the difference between "point was sought" and "point was made"?

"Point was sought" implies an active effort to clarify or establish an idea, while "point was made" indicates that the idea was successfully communicated or asserted. Therefore, a "point was made" suggests a successful assertion, whereas ""point was sought"" suggests an attempt to establish something.

Is it correct to say "a point is being sought" instead of "point was sought"?

Yes, "a point is being sought" is grammatically correct. It uses the present continuous tense to indicate an ongoing effort to find or establish a specific point, whereas ""point was sought"" indicates a past action.