say went wrong

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "say went wrong" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "something went wrong"? If this is the case, you can use it when discussing an issue or problem that has occurred. Example: "I followed all the steps, but something went wrong during the process."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

That sounds very much like what Millard S. Drexler, the new chief executive at J. Crew, has said happened to that company and what executives at Gap say went wrong there.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

"It's hard to say what went wrong at this Olympics," Campbell said Sunday night.

The New York Times - Sports

"To say nothing went wrong, that ain't going to fly,"' he said.

The New York Times

If things go wrong, at least the board can say they went wrong with the right guy.

The New Yorker

Would British taxpayers and regulators step in if the bank's operations in, say, Asia went wrong?

The Economist

A spokeswoman for WNBC-TV, Anna Carbonell, could not say what went wrong.

The New York Times

It's difficult to say what went wrong – it was down to a combination of factors.

The Guardian

If the homework is on the computer, say something went wrong with your attachment.

WikiHow

'They said "What went wrong", rather than "What happened",' he said.

The Guardian

Shortly afterward, on Twitter, the agency said: "Something went wrong with the launch.

The Guardian

Gorilla in the List Starquest says something went wrong with his new Web site yesterday.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "say went wrong" in formal writing. Instead, opt for grammatically correct alternatives like "something went wrong" or "what went wrong" to clearly convey that an error or problem has occurred.

Common error

A common mistake is using "say" in place of "something" or "what" when describing an issue. Ensure that you're using the correct subject and verb agreement to maintain grammatical accuracy and clarity. For instance, instead of "say went wrong", use "something went wrong".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "say went wrong" is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI indicates that this phrase is not standard English. In the provided examples, its usage is primarily within direct quotations, reflecting speech rather than proper grammatical structure. The correct way to formulate this expression is to use phrases like "something went wrong" or "what went wrong".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Wiki

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "say went wrong" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal English. Ludwig AI confirms that it is not a standard English expression. While there are some instances where it appears in quoted speech within news articles or informal contexts, it's best to use grammatically correct alternatives such as "something went wrong" or "what went wrong" to ensure clarity and correctness. These alternatives effectively convey the intended meaning of indicating an error or problem.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

something went wrong

Replaces "say" with "something" to form a grammatically correct expression indicating an error.

what went wrong

Focuses on inquiring about the specific issue that occurred, replacing "say" with "what".

everything went wrong

Emphasizes that multiple aspects or elements failed, instead of just one specific thing.

things went wrong

Generalizes that multiple unspecified issues occurred, replacing "say" with "things".

errors occurred

Uses a more formal term "errors" to describe the problems.

mistakes were made

Passively indicates that errors happened, focusing on the action rather than the cause.

there was a problem

Introduces the existence of an issue in a general manner.

an issue arose

Suggests a problem emerged unexpectedly.

a failure occurred

Implies a more significant or critical malfunction.

difficulties arose

Highlights that challenging or troublesome issues were encountered.

FAQs

What is the correct way to express that an error occurred?

The correct way to express that an error occurred is to use phrases like "something went wrong" or "what went wrong". Avoid using "say went wrong", as it's grammatically incorrect.

What can I say instead of "say went wrong"?

Instead of "say went wrong", you can use alternatives like "something went wrong", "what went wrong", or "everything went wrong", depending on the context.

Is it acceptable to use "say went wrong" in spoken English?

While some may use "say went wrong" in informal spoken English, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect. It is best to use more standard phrases like "something went wrong" for clarity and correctness.

How does "say went wrong" differ from "something went wrong"?

"Say went wrong" is grammatically incorrect and doesn't clearly convey a meaning. "Something went wrong" is the correct and commonly used phrase to indicate that an error or problem has occurred.