there were no safety

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "there were no safety" is not correct in English.
It should be "there was no safety" or "there were no safety measures." You can use it when discussing the absence of safety in a particular situation or environment. Example: "During the construction project, there was no safety in place, leading to several accidents."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

There were no safety precautions.

The New York Times

There were no safety issues.

Seminars in Integrative Medicine

"There were no safety measures … there was no emergency exit.

The Guardian

There were no safety rails round the machines.

The Guardian

There were no safety shots, just a series of blistering winners.

The Guardian - Sport

But I realised quite early on that in America there were no safety nets.

The Guardian

There were no safety concerns at any dose of AAV/SERCA2a.

Journal of Cardiology

She says that there were "no safety precautions at all" at the site.

The Economist

Defending their most profitable products, the auto industry's top safety executives insisted that there were no safety problems to solve.

The New York Times

Because the child did not live in the home, there were no safety guards on the window.

The New York Times

The Central Japan Railway Company said some parts it received from Kobe for its bullet trains did not meet Japanese industrial standards, but there were no safety issues.

The Guardian - Business

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When indicating the absence of safety, use more grammatically sound alternatives like "there was no safety" or "there were no safety measures" to improve clarity and credibility.

Common error

Avoid using plural verbs with singular nouns. Instead of saying "there were no safety", which is grammatically incorrect, opt for "there was no safety" when referring to safety in general. Using "there were no safety measures" is also correct as "measures" is plural.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "there were no safety" attempts to express the absence of safety precautions or concerns. Despite its frequent usage, as shown by Ludwig, it is grammatically questionable, potentially leading to misinterpretations.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

2%

Less common in

Academia

1%

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "there were no safety" is commonly used to indicate the absence of safety measures or concerns. However, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect; the accurate alternatives being "there was no safety" or "there were no safety measures". Its frequent occurrence in news and scientific contexts highlights its communicative value, but writers should aim for grammatical correctness to enhance clarity and credibility. Be aware that there might be different interpretations of your intentions. Use the phrase with caution.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

there were no safety measures

More grammatically correct by explicitly mentioning 'measures'.

there was no safety

Corrects the grammatical issue by using singular 'was' with the noun 'safety'.

safety was absent

Uses a more formal tone to indicate the lack of safety.

safety protocols were lacking

Replaces 'no safety' with a more technical term, 'protocols'.

security was nonexistent

Substitutes 'safety' with 'security' to emphasize protection.

there were no precautions

Focuses on the absence of 'precautions' instead of general safety.

safety was not ensured

Emphasizes the failure to ensure safety.

safety was compromised

Highlights that safety was put at risk.

no safety guidelines were followed

Specifies that 'guidelines' were not adhered to.

the environment was unsafe

Shifts the focus to the overall 'environment' being unsafe.

FAQs

How can I correctly express the absence of safety measures?

You can say "there was no safety" if you're talking about safety in general. Alternatively, "there were no safety measures" is grammatically correct. Another option is to express it differently, such as "safety was lacking".

Is it grammatically correct to say "there were no safety"?

According to Ludwig AI, the phrase "there were no safety" is not grammatically correct. It's better to say "there was no safety" or "there were no safety measures".

What's a formal way to say that safety was absent?

A more formal way to express the absence of safety is to state that "safety was compromised" or "safety protocols were lacking".

Which is more appropriate: "there was no safety" or "there were no safety measures"?

Both are grammatically correct. "There was no safety" refers to the general absence of safety. "There were no safety measures" specifies the absence of specific actions taken to ensure safety.