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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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received not received

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "received not received" is not correct and usable in written English.
It appears to be a contradiction and lacks clarity in meaning, making it difficult to use effectively in communication. Example: "The package was marked as received not received, causing confusion about its delivery status."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

This study used nationally representative nursing home data to compare black and white nursing home residents with respect to receiving, not receiving, or having an unknown PPV vaccination status, and to examine the interaction of race with various facility characteristics.

"Never has a Republican president's nominee not received a hearing, not received a vote.

News & Media

The Guardian

The company later said it had booked millions in revenue it had not received and would not receive unless it won a favorable ruling in a court case.

News & Media

The New York Times

"Zelle is not responsible for goods or services that are not received or are received but do not meet expectations".

News & Media

TechCrunch

We used Cox proportional hazards models to compute mortality rate ratios (MRR) of children who had received or not received OPV at birth.

Science

Plosone

The nonresponse analysis revealed that very few differences were found between patients whose records were received versus not received.

Additionally, a binary categorization (vaccination received vs. not received) was used, which may lead to a loss of information.

Patients with a fever ⩾38°C who had not received blood products received antibiotic therapy.

We compared the median CXCR2 expression levels in the two subgroups of patients having received, or not received, a neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen.

Before central randomization via fax patients were stratified according to liver function (Child classification) and treatment before study entry (received or not received).

Science

BMC Cancer

As intended in our study protocol, we stratified patients prior to randomisation according to liver function (Child classification) and previous treatment for HCC (received or not received).

Science

BMC Cancer
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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "received not received" due to its contradictory nature. Instead, opt for clearer alternatives like "received or not received" to explicitly state both possibilities.

Common error

Do not combine opposing actions or states without a clear connector or explanation. Using "received not received" creates confusion. Ensure clarity by using "or" to separate possibilities, such as in the corrected version "received or not received".

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

79%

Authority and reliability

1.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "received not received" attempts to express a binary state of either having received something or not. However, it's grammatically incorrect and contradictory as highlighted by Ludwig. Clearer alternatives include "received or not received".

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "received not received" is grammatically incorrect and contradictory. As Ludwig AI points out, it's not usable in written English. Instead, use clearer alternatives such as "received or not received" to explicitly state both possibilities. Given its lack of correct usage and contradictory nature, it's best to avoid this phrase in any context. Clarity is key, and phrases like "acknowledged or unacknowledged" can offer a more formal alternative depending on the context.

FAQs

What's a clearer way to express "received not received"?

A more precise way to phrase this is "received or not received", which avoids the contradiction and clearly presents both possibilities.

When is it appropriate to use "received or not received"?

Use "received or not received" when you need to explicitly acknowledge both outcomes as possibilities, such as in a survey question or a status report.

What are some formal alternatives to "received not received"?

Formal alternatives include "acknowledged or unacknowledged" or "confirmed or unconfirmed", which are suitable for professional or academic contexts.

How can I avoid ambiguity when discussing whether something was received?

To avoid ambiguity, always specify the criteria for receipt and clearly state whether those criteria were met. Instead of "received not received", consider "delivered or undelivered" or "in possession or not in possession" depending on what you want to specify.

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Source & Trust

79%

Authority and reliability

1.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: