stealing were

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "stealing were" is not correct and usable in written English.
It appears to be a grammatical error, as "were" is a past tense form of "to be" and does not fit with "stealing" in a coherent way. Example: "The act of stealing were caught on camera" should be corrected to "The act of stealing was caught on camera."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

Three months ago, rapes, looting and stealing were taking place regularly inside the disarmament camps as well as in the nearby refugee camp, he said.

The New York Times

A 1932 Profile of S. Klein by Milton MacKaye revealed that the storeowner's outer office once had a "crying room" where girls caught stealing were interviewed and asked to repent.

The New Yorker

So if stealing were an acceptable practice — if we lived in a world in which people just took whatever they wanted, simply because there was no clear argument for doing otherwise — our lives would be consumed by anxiety.

The New York Times - Magazine

The most serious of Gordon's offences, two instances of break and entry and stealing, were committed at the ages of 13 and 16, a juvenile record he was under no legal obligation to disclose.

The Guardian

On the flip side, Alsup said Uber's defense would depend on showing that the alleged trade secrets Waymo has accused Levandowski of stealing were not secrets after all, but part of the public domain and something that any good autonomous engineer would know.

TechCrunch

Those who were caught stealing were to be executed, according to his laws.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Stealing was stealing.

The New York Times

Stealing is wrong.

The New Yorker

Looting and stealing are common.

The Economist

To some people, "stealing" is just stealing.

The New Yorker

But stealing wasn't enough.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing past events involving theft, ensure the verb tense agrees with the subject. Use "stealing was" for a singular instance or rephrase to use grammatically correct alternatives like "thefts were".

Common error

Avoid using "stealing were" as it incorrectly combines a gerund with a plural past tense verb. Instead, use "stealing was" or other alternatives to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "stealing were" functions incorrectly as it attempts to combine a gerund with a plural past tense verb. Ludwig indicates this is a grammatical error, suggesting alternatives like "theft was" or "the act of stealing was".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Science

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "stealing were" is grammatically incorrect and not suitable for formal English. Ludwig AI identifies it as a mistake, recommending alternatives like "stealing was" or "thefts were" to maintain grammatical accuracy. While the phrase appears in various contexts, including News & Media, Wiki, and Science, its infrequent use and grammatical issues suggest it should be avoided in favor of more precise and correct alternatives. Remember to check the verb agreement in order to avoid incorrect constructs.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

thefts were

Focuses on the act of theft in the past, similar to "stealing were", but grammatically correct.

instances of theft were

Highlights the specific occurrences of theft in the past.

cases of stealing were

Emphasizes the documented cases where stealing occurred.

the act of stealing was

Rephrases to focus on the single action of stealing, using singular 'was'.

when the stealing occurred

Shifts the focus to a specific point in time when stealing took place.

while stealing was happening

Emphasizes the period during which stealing was in progress.

times when stealing was

Focuses on multiple occasions where stealing was present.

during the stealing spree

Highlights a prolonged period of stealing activity.

stealing happened

A simpler way to express that stealing occurred.

stealing took place

Similar to "stealing happened", but slightly more formal.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say something about past theft?

Instead of saying "stealing were", which is grammatically incorrect, you can say "thefts were" or "stealing was", depending on whether you're referring to multiple instances or a general act.

What are some alternatives to "stealing were"?

You can use phrases like "instances of theft were", "cases of stealing were", or "the act of stealing was" to express the same idea with correct grammar.

Is "stealing were" grammatically correct?

No, "stealing were" is not grammatically correct. The correct form would be "stealing was" if referring to the act in general, or "thefts were" if referring to multiple incidents.

How do I use "stealing" in a sentence about past events?

To use "stealing" correctly, you might say "The act of stealing was a frequent occurrence" or "While stealing was happening, security measures were increased". Ensure the verb tense matches the subject.