they were polled

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "they were polled" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a group of people who have been surveyed or asked for their opinions on a particular topic. Example: "In the recent survey, they were polled about their preferences for the new product line."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

The latest DoH report, Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England, reveals that the proportion of 11- to 15-year-olds who drank alcohol in the week before they were polled fell from 26% in 2001 to 12% in 2011.

The Guardian

Early this year, 33percentt of men and 19percentt of women admitted to being unfaithful when they were polled for the The Normal Bar, an extensive survey of the romantic relationships of more than 100,000 people.

Huffington Post

Given their responses, White's neighbors in Bastrop and Presidio counties make it clear that if they were polled on whether she should become the next chair of a little-known but powerful White House office that oversees federal environmental and energy policies, a majority would likely say no — and with good reason: Unlike White, for them, seeing is believing.

Huffington Post

When the epitope region was composed of two or more peptides, they were polled together so that the final amount of peptides injected was 50 µg.

Plosone

Children in the Latin America and the Caribbean region listed helping the poor and needy as one of their top two concerns, when they were polled on what they would ask of their social institutions such as the Church, their mayor, government and laws.

Unicef

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Both the Civitas and Public Policy Polling surveys directly read the text of the amendment to the voters they were polling.

The New York Times

Marching Britain out of Europe was the party's raison d'etre, and in 2015 they were polling third.

Vice

We have not released forecasts for the February states, but we will if they are polled more.

The New York Times

"Our reaction is basically the same as the American people -- every time they're polled they say they want less immigration not more," Mr. McAlpin said.

The New York Times

"Most people, when they're polled, don't want to be perceived as bigoted," he said, explaining why some of them might indicate support to a stranger on the telephone and then not follow through with it.

The New York Times

The horn status phenotypes of the calves were assessed over a period of 1 year to ascertain whether they are polled, horned or scurred.

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "they were polled", ensure the context clearly indicates who "they" refers to and what the poll was about to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid overgeneralizing the results of a poll. The phrase "they were polled" only reflects the opinions of the specific group surveyed, not necessarily the entire population.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "they were polled" functions as a passive construction, indicating that a group ("they") received a poll. As Ludwig AI suggests, this phrase is grammatically correct and understandable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "they were polled" is a grammatically sound and understandable way to express that a group of individuals participated in a survey or poll. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is deemed correct and shows up most commonly in news and media, science, and formal business contexts. To improve writing, ensure the referent of "they" is clear and avoid overgeneralizing poll results. Alternatives such as "they were surveyed" or "they were questioned" can offer slight variations in emphasis. Although this expression is less frequent than its active voice counterpart, it carries a neutral tone suitable for formal reporting and academic discourse.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

they were surveyed

This alternative is more generic and refers to a broader range of data collection methods through questionnaires.

they were asked

This is a simpler and more direct way of saying they were subjected to questioning.

they participated in a poll

This version highlights the action of taking part in a poll.

they responded to a survey

This highlights the act of responding to a structured set of questions.

they were canvassed

This option emphasizes direct interaction and outreach to gather opinions, particularly in political or marketing contexts.

their opinions were gathered

This focuses on the collection of viewpoints rather than the method of polling.

they were questioned

This term can suggest a more formal or investigative tone, implying detailed inquiries.

they gave their feedback

This alternative shifts the focus to the act of providing input or reactions.

they were interviewed

This emphasizes a one-on-one or small group discussion to gather in-depth perspectives.

data was collected from them

This is a very broad and general alternative, encompassing various data collection methods.

FAQs

How can I use "they were polled" in a sentence?

You can use "they were polled" to indicate that a group of people were surveyed to gather their opinions or data, as in "they were polled about their preferences".

What are some alternatives to saying "they were polled"?

Alternatives include "they were surveyed", "they were questioned", or "data was collected from them", depending on the specific context.

Is it better to use active or passive voice when describing a poll?

Using passive voice like "they were polled" emphasizes the group being surveyed. Active voice, such as "pollsters polled them", emphasizes the pollsters.

What does it mean when people are "push polled"?

"Push polling" is a technique where individuals are contacted under the guise of a poll, but the real purpose is to spread negative information about a candidate or issue. It's different from simply asking questions as in "they were polled".