they were comprised

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "they were comprised" is not correct in standard English usage.
The correct form is "they comprised" or "they were composed of." Example: "The committee was comprised of experts from various fields."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

They were comprised with SiC, β-Si3N4 and a small amount of Fe phase.

Surface and Coatings Technology

They were comprised of two vertical silicon mirrors and one piezo-electrically actuating horizontal mirror.

Micro and Nano Systems Letters

Three different monodisperse systems were considered, and they were comprised, respectively, of chains of length 20, 50 and 100.

Chemical Engineering Science

Notably, series counts were often on the same order as the peak counts of which they were comprised, for reasons discussed in the next section.

Journal of Cheminformatics

In addition, they were comprised of nanofibrous gelatin/silica composite walls (several tens of nanometers in thickness), where the sol gel derived silica bioglass phase was uniformly distributed throughout the gelatin matrix.

Materials Science and Engineering: C

Eseke was the owner of the mountain but Eseke owned many mountains and they were comprised mostly of jungle and were only used by monkey hunters.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

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

The Guardian - Tech

They are comprised of elastic, gestural arabesques that have more definable weight and presence than the forms or shapes in the other two artists' works, but they still maintain a certain weightlessness.

The New York Times

They are comprised of a mysteriously absent son, a nasal whine of a daughter and Vince's wife, whose sole interaction with him is to mutter: "Please cheer up will ya," on her way out to Zumba.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

They're comprised Apex Stretch Fleece with silicone grips and reinforced with nylon and pixie dust.

TechCrunch

They are comprised of speech, music, and speech over music recordings, specifically mentioned in Table 1.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "comprised of". The correct usage is either "comprised" (without "of") or "composed of". Consider using "consisted of" or "made up of" for clarity.

Common error

Many writers incorrectly use "comprised of". Remember that "comprised" means 'to consist of'. Therefore, "comprised of" is redundant. Use "comprised" alone or replace the phrase with "consisted of" or "made up of".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "they were comprised" functions as a passive construction attempting to describe the composition of a subject. However, according to Ludwig AI, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct alternatives would be "they comprised" or "they were composed of".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

68.75%

News & Media

31.25%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "they were comprised" is commonly used, Ludwig AI indicates that it's grammatically incorrect. The correct alternatives are "they comprised" or "they were composed of". Although the phrase appears in diverse contexts, including Science and News & Media, it's best to avoid it in formal writing. Remember that the word "comprised" means 'to consist of', so using "comprised of" is redundant. Consider using alternatives like "they consisted of" or "they were made up of" for clarity and correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

they consisted of

This alternative uses a different verb to convey the idea of being made up of elements; maintains a similar level of formality.

they were composed of

This alternative replaces "comprised" with "composed of", providing a grammatically correct construction with nearly identical meaning.

they were made up of

This option offers a more informal way to say "they were comprised", suitable for less formal contexts.

they were constituted of

Synonymous with "they were composed of" but considered more formal or archaic.

they included

This is a more concise alternative that focuses on the elements that were part of the whole, rather than the composition itself.

they contained

Similar to "they included", this option emphasizes the presence of specific elements within the whole.

they incorporated

This alternative suggests that elements were actively integrated or included.

they were formed of

This alternative is similar to "they were made up of" but places more emphasis on the process of formation.

they embodied

This option implies that the elements were representative or expressive of a particular quality or idea.

they encompassed

This alternative indicates that elements were completely included within a certain scope or range.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use the word "comprised" in a sentence?

The word "comprised" means 'to consist of'. Therefore, you can say "The group comprised five members" or "The group was composed of five members". Avoid saying "The group was comprised of five members".

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

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

Is it grammatically correct to say "is comprised of"?

No, "is comprised of" is generally considered incorrect. The verb "comprise" means 'to consist of', so the phrase is redundant. It is better to use "is composed of" or "comprises" instead.

What's the difference between "comprise", "compose", and "constitute"?

"Comprise" means 'to consist of' or 'to include'. "Compose" means 'to form or create'. "Constitute" means 'to make up or form'. So, you might say "Five members comprise the group", "The group is composed of five members", or "Five members constitute the group".