there were no material

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "there were no material" is not correct in English.
It should be "there was no material" or "there were no materials" depending on the intended meaning. You can use it when discussing the absence of physical items or resources in a specific context, such as a project or a report. Example: "During the inspection, it was noted that there was no material available for the construction."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

After first seeing off a legal challenge by Eurotunnel over the commission's jurisdiction, the CMA has decided there were no material changes in the market to make it reconsider its decision.

The Guardian - Business

There were no material revelations, but for Jenkins their impact was huge.

The Guardian - Film

Two days after the trade was completed, El Paso filed a revised first-quarter earnings report and said there were no material changes.

The New York Times

While the ministry maintained that there were no material losses, the Bedouin of Upper Egypt said the locusts had destroyed their cumin crop and asked the government for compensation.

The New York Times

In a written statement, PricewaterhouseCoopers said that it stood by its audits of AvtoVAZ, that there were no material errors in its 1997 financial statements and that the accounting firm could not respond to general and unsubstantiated claims by the former employee.

The New York Times

The proposed MIB elasticity interface scheme utilizes fictitious values on irregular grid points near the material interface to replace function values in the discretization so that the elasticity equation can be discretized using the standard finite difference schemes as if there were no material interface.

Journal of Computational Physics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

38 human-written examples

Patrick Braouezec, the investigator, told a separate news conference there was "no material evidence showing that a policy of quotas had been enforced".

The New York Times - Sports

Sculpture, too, was out of the question because it took up even more space than painting, and, besides, there were no materials.

The New York Times - Arts

UBS and J.P. Morgan said there was no material financial impact on the banks.

The New York Times

In Huntsman's case, there was no material adverse change to its business.

The New York Times

But there is no material and nothing has happened," complained local resident Siphiwo Ngcaza.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always ensure subject-verb agreement. Use "there was no material" for singular nouns and "there were no materials" for plural nouns.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase "there were no material" because it is grammatically incorrect. The correct alternatives are "there was no material" (singular) or "there were no materials" (plural).

Linguistic Context

The phrase "there were no material" is intended to express the absence of a substance or resources. However, grammatically, it's incorrect, as highlighted by Ludwig. It should either be "there was no material" or "there were no materials", depending on the intended meaning.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

8%

Wiki

8%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "there were no material" is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI flags that the correct phrasing is either "there was no material" (singular) or "there were no materials" (plural), depending on whether you're referring to a non-countable substance or multiple items. The phrase is commonly used in both scientific and news contexts to indicate the absence of something. Remember to check subject-verb agreement to ensure correct grammar. Using alternatives such as "there was a lack of" or "no equipment available" can also improve clarity and grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

there was no substance

Focuses on the lack of inherent quality or importance, rather than just physical material.

there was a lack of materials

Emphasizes the deficiency of physical items needed for a task.

there were no supplies

Specifically refers to the absence of items needed for a particular purpose.

resources were absent

Highlights the unavailability of resources, which can be broader than just physical material.

no equipment was available

Focuses on the lack of necessary tools or machinery.

there was nothing tangible

Emphasizes the absence of anything concrete or perceivable.

no provisions were made

Highlights the neglect or failure to provide necessary supplies or arrangements.

the cupboard was bare

An idiomatic expression signifying a complete lack of resources.

there wasn't any matter

Refers to the absence of anything having substance or physical existence.

nothing was on hand

Focuses on the immediate unavailability of needed items.

FAQs

Is "there were no material" grammatically correct?

No, "there were no material" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing depends on whether you are referring to a singular or plural concept. Use "there was no material" for singular and "there were no materials" for plural.

When should I use "there was no material"?

Use "there was no material" when referring to a singular substance or resource. For example, "there was no material available for the experiment".

What is the difference between "there was no material" and "there were no materials"?

"There was no material" refers to the absence of a single, non-countable substance or resource. "There were no materials" refers to the absence of multiple, countable items or resources. Consider using alternative phrases like "lack of materials" for clarity.

What are some alternatives to "there were no material"?

While grammatically incorrect, if you meant "there was no material", you can use phrases like "there was no substance" or "nothing tangible existed". If you meant "there were no materials", consider "there were no supplies" or "a lack of materials".