they comprised of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "they comprised of" is not correct in English.
The correct form is "they comprised" or "they are comprised of." You can use "they comprised" when stating what a group consists of without the preposition "of." Example: "The committee comprised experts from various fields."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

They comprised of 2.84 edges on average, and have been created without any further structural restriction.

European Transport Research Review

They comprised of the following components: 50 60 wt.% MWCNT, 33 43 wt.% polymers, 3.5 wt.% metals (Fe, Ni, La, Al, Si), 0.5 wt.% non-metals (Cl, S) and 3.0 wt.% amorphous carbon.

Nanoscale Research Letters

They comprised of three case studies and two epidemiological studies.

BMC Palliative Care

They comprised of workers from administration office and obstetric wards including labour room (LR).

BMC Infectious Diseases

However, these studies are not directly comparable as they comprised of different study populations, with different approaches to the measurement of intention to leave.

Global Health Action

These were selected because they comprised of all patient level QLQ-C30 data available in the CTC database from RCTs in lung cancer which had been published.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Studies on the chemical composition of these BSs suggest that they comprise of different components depending on the type of strain: glycolipids5,13, glycoproteins14 or multi-component mixtures of proteins and polysaccharides associated with phosphate groups10.

Nature

So they choose "comprised of" because they think it will make readers to take them seriously.

Los Angeles Times

Since they are comprised of food-grade materials, they're safe to drink as loose-leaf tea or sprinkle into a bath for a fortified soak.

Forbes

Despite indigenous people representing 11% of the population of Darwin, they comprised 23% of these admissions.

Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source

Tropico is an examination of how institutions are inevitably flawed because they're comprised of people.

The Guardian - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the composition of something, use "they comprised" or "they were comprised of". For example, instead of "the team comprised of members from different departments", write "the team comprised members from different departments" or "the team was comprised of members from different departments".

Common error

A common mistake is using "comprised of" when simply "comprised" is correct. Remember that "comprise" means 'to consist of', so adding "of" is redundant. Use "comprised" to indicate what something consists of, and "composed of" when you want to use the preposition "of".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "they comprised of" is intended to express composition or constitution. However, according to Ludwig AI, this phrase is grammatically incorrect. The correct forms are "they comprised" or "they were comprised of".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

70%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "they comprised of" appears in various contexts, including scientific and news media as indicated by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct forms are "they comprised" or "they were comprised of". When describing the composition of something, it's best to stick to grammatically sound options like "they consisted of" or "they were composed of" to ensure clarity and professionalism. Remember to avoid the redundancy of using "of" after "comprised".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

they consisted of

Replaces "comprised of" with "consisted of", offering a grammatically sound alternative with very similar meaning.

they were composed of

Uses the passive voice and "composed of" to convey a similar meaning, focusing on the elements that make up the whole.

they were made up of

Uses a more informal phrasing to indicate the components of something.

they were constituted of

A formal and less common alternative, emphasizing the structural makeup.

they were formed of

Highlights the process of formation or creation from specific elements.

they contained

Simply states that they held or included certain elements, without necessarily implying full composition.

they included

Emphasizes inclusion rather than comprehensive composition. The semantic transformation is quite large and depends on context.

they incorporated

Focuses on the action of bringing elements together, implying a deliberate assembly.

they encompassed

Implies a broader scope, suggesting that they included a range of elements.

they embodied

Suggests that they perfectly represent or exemplify the components, shifting the focus from composition to representation.

FAQs

Is it correct to say "they comprised of"?

No, the correct phrasing is either "they comprised" or "they were comprised of". The phrase "they comprised of" is grammatically incorrect.

What does "they comprised" mean?

The phrase "they comprised" means that a group or collection consisted of certain elements or members. It's a way of stating what something is made up of.

What can I say instead of "they comprised of"?

You can use alternatives like "they consisted of", "they were composed of", or "they included" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "they comprised" or "they were comprised of"?

Both "they comprised" and "they were comprised of" are correct, but "they comprised" is often considered more concise. Choose the phrasing that best fits the tone and style of your writing.