there were preferred

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "there were preferred" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be an attempt to express a preference in a past context, but it lacks clarity and proper structure. Example: "In the survey, there were preferred options that the majority of participants chose."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Recently, [ 82] pointed out that there were preferred chemical patterns of closely packed residues at the protein-protein interface.

BioMed Research International

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07635.007 We next examined the contacts made between the mesh and MTs to determine if there were preferred locations on the MT for mesh attachment, for example, on the seams of MTs.

eLife

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

While for concert halls there are preferred ranges of values for the objective measures described in ISO3382-1, a method for comparing measured sound levels with theoretically expected values is proposed here.

Applied Acoustics

What is more, there are preferred sensor's locations and measurement directions.

Measurement

For each part of the wing, there are preferred materials, and in this study, additional improvement scenarios were analyzed.

Journal of Cleaner Production

This is consistent with the common concept that there are preferred amino acid sequences reactive with any given antigenic epitope.

Protein & Cell

In practise, the fraction of recovered protein traps is clearly much lower, indicating that there are preferred target genes.

BMC Genomics

Looking at the cis-related octamers (REG and high RARf), the table shows that there are preferred and avoided sequences for each core type.

DNA Research

FAIRE-seq and MAINE-seq analyses in P. falciparum demonstrated that nucleosome binding to TSSs is associated with gene expression [ 44] and there are preferred DNA motifs for nucleosome assembly [ 45, 46].

BMC Genomics

Thus no matter what the shape is of the hodon, there will be preferred directions and this implies that the space is anisotropic.

SEP

This strongly suggested that natural recombination did not occur randomly throughout the HIV genome, and that there might be preferred (or hot) regions or sites for recombination.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing preferences in the past, ensure the sentence structure is grammatically sound. Instead of using the phrase "there were preferred", consider using "preferred options existed" or "choices were favored" to maintain clarity.

Common error

A common mistake is using passive constructions like "there were preferred" which can sound awkward. Active constructions such as "people preferred" or "analysts favored" tend to be more direct and easier to understand.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "there were preferred" functions as a declarative statement that aims to indicate the existence of choices that were favored. However, as Ludwig AI points out, its grammatical correctness is questionable, potentially causing ambiguity.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

67%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "there were preferred" attempts to convey the presence of favored choices in the past, it suffers from grammatical weaknesses. Ludwig AI indicates that it is not considered correct in standard written English. The phrase appears rarely, predominantly in scientific and news contexts. For clearer and more grammatically sound alternatives, consider using phrases like "preferred options existed" or "choices were favored". Always prioritize clarity and precision in your writing to avoid potential misinterpretations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

choices were favored

Replaces "preferred" with "favored", keeping a similar meaning but with a slightly different nuance.

selections were chosen

Substitutes "preferred" with "chosen", emphasizing the act of selection.

preferred options existed

Focuses on the existence of preferred choices, changing the sentence structure.

favored alternatives were present

Highlights the presence of favored options, altering the sentence structure for emphasis.

desired selections were available

Emphasizes the availability of desired choices, shifting the focus slightly.

options were deemed preferable

Uses "deemed preferable" to convey a more formal tone, indicating a judgment of preference.

a preference was shown for

Restructures the phrase to highlight the act of showing preference, using a more passive voice.

there was a tendency to prefer

Indicates a general inclination towards preference, adding a nuance of habitual action.

some options were privileged

Conveys a sense of preferential treatment or advantage given to certain options.

certain alternatives were specially considered

Emphasizes the special consideration given to certain alternatives, highlighting a deliberate evaluation process.

FAQs

How can I correctly express past preferences in English?

Instead of saying "there were preferred", use more grammatically sound phrases like "choices were favored" or "preferred options existed" to maintain clarity and correctness.

What's a more formal way to express that something was preferred?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "options were deemed preferable". This conveys a sense of judgment or evaluation in the preference.

Is "there were preferred" grammatically correct?

According to Ludwig AI, the phrase "there were preferred" is not correct in standard written English. It's better to use alternatives that are grammatically precise.

What are some alternatives to "there were preferred" that emphasize selection?

To emphasize the act of selection, you can use phrases such as "selections were chosen". This highlights that a deliberate choice was made.