they were ceased

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "they were ceased" is not correct in standard written English.
It is not usable because "ceased" is a verb that means to stop or bring to an end, and it does not work in the passive voice as presented. Example: "They were ceased from their activities due to the new regulations." (Note: This is not a proper usage; it should be rephrased.)

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

For obvious reasons, individuals who remain eligible for benefits are less likely to seek employment than they would if they were ceased; for that group, we estimate an upper bound for the likelihood of having earnings of about 43 percentage points if they were ceased.

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Nevada started phasing out net metering in 2015, causing solar companies to announce they were ceasing operations in the state.

Huffington Post

This perceived problem with expenditure was given further credence when the Hull Stingrays announced on 11 August 2010 that they were ceasing operations immediately due insufficient funds from sponsorship to guarantee completing the season.

Wikipedia

They're ceasing to function.

The New York Times

"My understanding is that they announced they're ceasing all passenger flights," Morrison said.

The New York Times

In fact, I'd guess that as soon as online sales make it into the moderate double digits, you'll see one of the Big Four announce that they are ceasing sales of physical CDs.

The Economist

"Part of the problem... is simply that they are ceasing to be a national party," it says, pointing out a recent poll in which 72% of northerners said Conservatives did not understand their area.

BBC

He said many local authorities were already running down their careers services, known as Connexions, because they are ceasing to have a statutory duty to provide them from next year.

BBC

They're ceasing development of their original product Cloudfuji, a cloud platform/app store for open source web apps, to focus on Zenbox, an app that gives companies access to their customer data from within any web app.

TechCrunch

Pearson et al, [ 20] discovered that 37% of women with learning disabilities were ceased because they had a learning disability.

BMC Public Health

"The following Monday, Memorial Day, they said they would be ceasing operations immediately, and we have spent the last week preparing for that".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the passive voice construction "they were ceased". Instead, opt for more common and grammatically sound alternatives like "they were stopped", "they were terminated", or rephrase the sentence to use the active voice.

Common error

A common mistake is using "ceased" in a passive construction. "Cease" is typically an active verb. Avoid saying "they were ceased". Instead, restructure your sentence to use a more appropriate verb like "stopped" or "terminated" in the passive voice, or rewrite the sentence in the active voice.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "they were ceased" attempts to use the verb 'cease' in a passive construction. However, 'cease' is typically used in the active voice. Ludwig AI indicates that this phrase is not standard English. The function aimed is to indicate the termination or stopping of an action or state, but the grammatical structure is flawed.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

10%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "they were ceased" is grammatically incorrect and rarely used in standard English. As Ludwig AI points out, it's not a proper usage because "ceased" is a verb that means to stop or bring to an end, and it does not work well in the passive voice. While some sources include this phrase, it's advisable to use alternatives like "they were stopped" or "they were terminated" to ensure clarity and correctness. Avoiding this phrase, especially in formal writing, will enhance the credibility and precision of your communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

they were stopped

Replaces "ceased" with "stopped", a more common and grammatically sound alternative to indicate termination.

they were discontinued

Uses "discontinued" to convey the idea of something being ended or terminated, providing a formal alternative.

they were terminated

Employs "terminated" to suggest a formal or official ending, suitable for professional contexts.

they were halted

Substitutes "ceased" with "halted", implying a sudden or abrupt stop.

they were ended

Replaces "ceased" with "ended", a straightforward and universally understood way to express conclusion.

they were brought to an end

Offers a more descriptive and emphatic way of saying something was stopped.

they were concluded

Uses "concluded" to indicate a formal completion or ending.

they were suspended

Suggests a temporary cessation, implying a possibility of resumption in the future.

they were abolished

Employs "abolished" to signify complete and formal termination, often used for laws or systems.

they were invalidated

Indicates that something was rendered no longer valid or effective.

FAQs

Is "they were ceased" grammatically correct?

No, "they were ceased" is not grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to use phrases like "they were stopped" or "they were terminated".

What are some alternatives to "they were ceased"?

Alternatives include "they were stopped", "they were discontinued", or "they were ended". The best choice depends on the specific context.

How can I rephrase a sentence using "they were ceased" to be grammatically correct?

Instead of "they were ceased", try using the active voice, such as "they stopped", or use a more common passive construction like "they were stopped".

What's the difference between "they were ceased" and "they ceased"?

"They ceased" is in the active voice and is grammatically correct, meaning "they stopped". "They were ceased" is grammatically incorrect; you should use "they were stopped" instead.