statement was unclear

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "statement was unclear" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase to describe when someone has expressed their opinion in a way that is difficult to understand. For example, "I tried to follow the speaker's argument, but her statement was unclear."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

The statement was unclear.

Huffington Post

However, several comments were made by parents of children with food allergy regarding the statement, "A peanut-allergic child can have an allergic reaction from the smell of peanut butter (T/F/IDK)." Parents disputed the correct response ("false") and it was agreed that, at the very least, the statement was unclear and the reliability of the data was questionable.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Although he "welcomed" the planned release, he said, "Unfortunately, the statement is unclear on whether it will be all documents, or only highly selective ones".

The New York Times

Mr. Salem's company may have then resold the gas to Israel at a substantial mark-up, thus enriching himself at the public expense, although the prosecutors' statement is unclear on those details.

The New York Times

His statement is unclear about whether he hopes to stay at the university, but parts of the text suggest he does not.

Science Magazine

This statement is unclear.

eLife

13) The following statement is unclear: "Although it is clear, from the parameter values of the centroids of each class, that most parameters do not follow a similar evolution during development (CVISI decreases monophasically while AP rise slope and AP amplitude present biphasic changes)." Please clarify the meaning of this.

eLife

The impact of the statements was unclear.

The New York Times

Why this bit of testimony was not later shared with Sanders, especially when Tunstall was called to the stand in the Dekraai case and disavowed his earlier statements, is unclear.

Huffington Post

Opinions differed on the difficulty level of the knowledge statements in the questionnaire, but most respondents did not think the statements were unclear or too difficult; they sometimes even thought they were (too) easy.

European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

According to witness statements, it was unclear if Loehmann told Rice to raise his hands before firing.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "statement was unclear", provide context or explain why the statement lacked clarity. This helps the reader understand the specific issue.

Common error

Avoid using "statement was unclear" repeatedly without varying your sentence structure. Over-reliance on passive voice can make your writing sound weak. Consider active constructions like, "The speaker did not clarify the statement."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "statement was unclear" functions as a descriptive statement, indicating a lack of clarity or comprehensibility in a given statement. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "statement was unclear" is a common and grammatically correct expression used to indicate a lack of clarity in a statement. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is suitable for various writing contexts. It appears most frequently in News & Media and Science sources. When using this phrase, it's best practice to provide additional context to clarify the source of the ambiguity. Related alternatives include "statement lacked clarity" and "statement was ambiguous". Overall, this phrase is a useful and versatile way to express a lack of understanding or clarity in communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

statement lacked clarity

Replaces "unclear" with a more formal synonym; focuses on the absence of clarity.

statement was ambiguous

Emphasizes the potential for multiple interpretations of the statement.

statement was vague

Highlights the lack of specific details in the statement.

statement was poorly defined

Focuses on the lack of a clear definition or outline in the statement.

statement was not well-defined

Similar to "poorly defined" but with a slightly different grammatical structure.

statement was confusing

Highlights the difficulty in understanding the statement.

statement was unintelligible

Indicates that the statement was impossible to understand.

statement was incomprehensible

Similar to "unintelligible", suggesting a complete lack of understanding.

statement was obscure

Suggests the statement was hidden or not easily discovered or understood.

statement was cryptic

Implies the statement was intentionally mysterious or difficult to decipher.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "statement was unclear" to sound more formal?

You can use more formal alternatives such as "statement lacked clarity" or "the statement was ambiguous" to convey a similar meaning in a more formal tone.

What's a simpler way to say "statement was unclear"?

Simpler alternatives include "the statement wasn't clear", or "the statement was confusing". These options use more common language while retaining the original meaning.

Is it better to say "the statement was unclear" or "the statement is unclear"?

The choice depends on the context. "The statement was unclear" implies that the lack of clarity existed in the past, while "the statement is unclear" suggests it remains unclear at the present time.

What's the difference between saying "the statement was unclear" and "the meaning was unclear"?

"The statement was unclear" focuses on the expression itself, whereas "the meaning was unclear" emphasizes that the intended message was not successfully conveyed. They're often interchangeable, but the focus shifts slightly.