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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
responses was received
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "responses was received" is not correct in written English.
It contains a subject-verb agreement error; "responses" is plural, so it should be "responses were received." Example: "After the survey was conducted, several responses were received from participants."
⚠ May contain grammatical issues
Science
News & Media
Alternative expressions(4)
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
2 human-written examples
Up to two reminder e-mails were sent until the desired number of 10 responses was received in each deanery.
Science
A total of 180 dual-forced items were included on the web-form survey, and a cumulative total of 40 responses was received from 29 PCPs (a response rate of 88%%).
Science
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
58 human-written examples
Then, only 281 notarized responses were received back by Treasury.
News & Media
An unprecedented 150,000 responses were received – over a third from the UK – mainly opposing the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
News & Media
Questionnaires were sent to 5,500 principals, assistant principals and office-based education administrators; 718 responses were received.
News & Media
No responses were received last night after attempts to reach the Education Department through e-mail and two telephone calls.
News & Media
451 responses were received.
Seventy responses were received.
Science
61 responses were received (response rate 73%).
In total, 636 responses were received.
Science
Total 207 valid responses were received.
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
Always ensure subject-verb agreement. Since "responses" is plural, the correct form is "responses were received."
Common error
Avoid using singular verbs with plural subjects. Using "responses was received" is a common mistake; the correct form is "responses were received". Double-check your subject-verb agreement to maintain grammatical accuracy.
Source & Trust
85%
Authority and reliability
2.2/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The phrase "responses was received" is intended to function as a statement indicating that responses have been obtained. However, it contains a grammatical error. As pointed out by Ludwig AI, there is a subject-verb agreement issue.
Frequent in
Science
50%
News & Media
50%
Formal & Business
0%
Less common in
Academia
0%
Encyclopedias
0%
Wiki
0%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
In summary, while the phrase "responses was received" is intended to communicate that feedback or answers have been obtained, it is grammatically incorrect due to a subject-verb agreement error. Ludwig AI indicates the correct form is "responses were received". This corrected phrase is suitable for various contexts, including scientific and news reporting. Alternatives such as "replies were obtained" or "feedback was collected" may also be used depending on the specific nuance intended.
More alternative expressions(6)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
responses were received
Corrects the subject-verb agreement error by using the plural verb "were" to match the plural subject "responses".
replies were obtained
Replaces "responses" with "replies" for a different word choice while maintaining a similar meaning, and corrects the grammatical error with "were".
answers were provided
Replaces "responses" with "answers" and corrects the grammatical error with "were".
feedback was collected
Shifts the focus to the action of collecting feedback instead of receiving responses and uses "was" with the singular subject "feedback".
input was gathered
Replaces "responses" with "input" and uses "was" with the singular subject "input".
submissions were accepted
Focuses on the action of accepting submissions and corrects the grammatical error with "were".
information was submitted
Focuses on the action of submitting information, using "was" with the singular subject "information".
data was acquired
Replaces "responses" with "data" and focuses on the acquisition of it and uses "was" with the singular subject "data".
communications were acknowledged
Replaces "responses" with "communications" and focuses on the acknowledgement of them and corrects the grammatical error with "were".
the survey yielded responses
Restructures the sentence to emphasize the survey's outcome rather than the receipt of responses and also fixes the grammatical error using a different structure.
FAQs
What is the correct way to say "responses was received"?
The correct way to phrase this is "responses were received". The plural noun "responses" requires the plural verb "were".
What can I say instead of "responses was received" to sound more professional?
To sound more professional, use alternatives like "replies were obtained", "feedback was collected", or "data was acquired" depending on the context.
Which is correct, "responses was received" or "responses were received"?
"Responses were received" is grammatically correct. "Responses was received" contains a subject-verb agreement error.
What's the difference between "responses was received" and "response was received"?
"Response was received" is grammatically correct only when referring to a single response. "Responses was received" is always incorrect because it uses a plural subject with a singular verb.
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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
85%
Authority and reliability
2.2/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested