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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
regulations was passed
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "regulations was passed" is not correct in English.
It should be "regulations were passed" because "regulations" is plural. You can use the corrected phrase when discussing the enactment or approval of rules or laws by a governing body. Example: "The new regulations were passed to ensure better safety standards in the workplace."
⚠ May contain grammatical issues
News & Media
Science
Encyclopedias
Wiki
Alternative expressions(3)
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified examples from authoritative sources
Exact Expressions
1 human-written examples
The Telecommunications Act of 1996, which put Internet services outside of 75-year-old telephone regulations, was passed by a Republican Congress and signed into law by a Democratic president, in an overwhelmingly bipartisan manner.
News & Media
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
58 human-written examples
What kind of consultation and risk assessments were done before the regulations were passed anyway?
News & Media
CEO Marian Singer says the company was getting requests from Californian farmers even before the groundwater regulations were passed.
News & Media
Such regulations were passed in 2005 in San Francisco, which now has a 10-page application for a club permit.
News & Media
Their products and their secrets were so much sought after that regulations were passed forbidding the emigration of workers.
Encyclopedias
And although Mr. Littlefield and his junk ultimately may disappear if the regulations are passed, the more immediate goal is twofold: to address the influx of people looking for land and a rural lifestyle increasingly hard to find and afford in southern New England, and to head off developers rushing to carve up open tracts in a part of the state sometimes called the "forgotten corner".
News & Media
To provide workers, regulations were passed mandating high salaries.
News & Media
If the regulations are passed, they will come into force in January 2015.
News & Media
Why have not the regulations been passed by the assembly yet?
News & Media
Net worth down 20% in a year; may suffer further if stricter credit card regulations are passed by Congress.
News & Media
GIM planned to purchase lucrative CO2 offsets when anticipated federal government regulations were passed to mandate cap-and-trade.
News & Media
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
Always ensure subject-verb agreement. Since "regulations" is plural, use the plural verb form "were".
Common error
Avoid using singular verb forms with plural subjects. "Regulations was passed" is grammatically incorrect; use "regulations were passed" instead.
Source & Trust
83%
Authority and reliability
2.3/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The phrase "regulations was passed" is intended to function as a statement indicating the enactment of rules. However, it grammatically incorrect due to the mismatch between the plural subject and the singular verb. As noted by Ludwig AI, the correct phrasing is "regulations were passed".
Frequent in
News & Media
25%
Science
25%
Wiki
25%
Less common in
Encyclopedias
25%
Formal & Business
0%
Reference
0%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
In summary, the phrase "regulations was passed" is grammatically incorrect because the plural subject "regulations" does not agree with the singular verb "was". The corrected form is "regulations were passed". Ludwig AI highlights this error, underscoring the importance of subject-verb agreement. While the intent is to communicate the enactment of rules, the error diminishes its effectiveness, making it unsuitable for formal contexts. Use alternatives like "the regulation was enacted" or "the rules were approved" to ensure grammatical correctness and clarity.
More alternative expressions(6)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
regulations were passed
Changes the verb conjugation to agree with the plural subject "regulations".
the regulation was enacted
Replaces "passed" with "enacted" and uses the singular "regulation".
the rules were approved
Uses "rules" as a synonym for "regulations" and "approved" instead of "passed".
legislation was approved
Replaces "regulation" with the more general term "legislation".
the laws were adopted
Employs "laws" instead of "regulations" and "adopted" instead of "passed".
the guidelines were issued
Replaces "regulations" with "guidelines" suggesting a less formal set of rules.
a directive was implemented
Substitutes "regulation" with "directive" and "passed" with "implemented".
policies were established
Uses "policies" in place of "regulations" and "established" instead of "passed".
the measure was approved
Replaces "regulation" with "measure" to describe the action taken.
the statute was ratified
Employs "statute" to denote a formal law and "ratified" to signify formal approval.
FAQs
Why is it incorrect to say "regulations was passed"?
The phrase "regulations was passed" is grammatically incorrect because "regulations" is a plural noun, requiring the plural verb form "were". The correct phrase is "regulations were passed".
What is the correct way to use the phrase "regulations" in a sentence?
Ensure the verb agrees with the plural noun. For example, say "The new regulations "were passed" by the committee".
Are there alternatives to saying "regulations were passed"?
Yes, you can use alternatives such as "the "regulation was enacted"", "the "rules were approved"", or "the "laws were adopted"", depending on the context.
How does the meaning change if I use "regulation" instead of "regulations"?
Using "regulation" (singular) instead of "regulations" (plural) changes the scope. "Regulation" refers to a single rule, while "regulations" refers to multiple rules. Therefore, you would say "the "regulation was passed"" to refer to one specific rule.
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Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
83%
Authority and reliability
2.3/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested