they were wrong of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "they were wrong of" is not correct in standard written English.
It is not a commonly used expression and may confuse readers. A more appropriate construction would be to use "they were wrong to" or "they were wrong about." Example: "They were wrong to assume that everyone would agree with their decision."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

They were wrong, of course.

The New York Times

They were wrong, of course, but rather than change their position they have simply invented new reasons — financial stability, whatever — to advocate higher rates.

The New York Times

They were wrong, of course, but it took the bursting of the dotcom bubble to expose the extent of their misconceptions.

The Guardian - Tech

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

They're wrong, of course.

Independent

They are wrong, of course.

The Guardian

Maybe they're wrong, of course, or maybe that's a pretext offered to squelch a threat to their corporate paymasters.

The Economist

2. They're wrong, of course.

Huffington Post

They're wrong, of course, but I can't think of higher praise for the team behind the mural.

Vice

They're wrong, of course, but this hasn't stopped the word from becoming an insult that only has teeth when read or heard by others who are also anti-feminism.

Vice

Judging from November's election, they are wrong on the face of it.

The Economist

Nelly hopes Rikono can show the community they are wrong to think of educated girls as lost or worthless.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "they were wrong of". Instead, opt for grammatically correct alternatives such as "they were wrong about" or "they were mistaken regarding" to ensure clarity and accuracy in your writing.

Common error

A common mistake is using "of" after "wrong" when describing what someone was incorrect about. To correct this, use "about" instead. For example, say "they were wrong about the weather", not "they were wrong of the weather".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "they were wrong of" is grammatically incorrect and functions as an erroneous attempt to express that someone was mistaken about something. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is not standard English.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "they were wrong of" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in both formal and informal writing. As Ludwig AI points out, standard English prefers alternatives such as "they were wrong about" or "they were mistaken regarding". These alternatives effectively convey the intended meaning of someone being incorrect about something. Due to its incorrectness, the phrase has no established usage patterns across different contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

they were wrong about

Focuses on the subject or topic about which they were incorrect.

they were mistaken regarding

A more formal alternative, indicating a misunderstanding or error.

they erred in believing

Emphasizes the act of believing something that turned out to be false.

their assessment was incorrect

Shifts the focus to the inaccuracy of their evaluation or judgment.

they misjudged the situation

Highlights their failure to understand or properly evaluate the circumstances.

they were incorrect in their assumption

Specifies that the error lies in a faulty assumption they made.

they had the wrong impression

Indicates that they formed an inaccurate or misleading idea.

they were off the mark

An idiomatic expression meaning they were inaccurate or mistaken.

they were under a misapprehension

Highlights that their understanding was flawed from the beginning.

they failed to understand

Simple, direct way to state that they did not comprehend correctly.

FAQs

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

The word "wrong" can be used in various ways. When indicating what someone is incorrect about, use "wrong about". For example, "They were wrong about the time". Other usages include "morally wrong" or "legally wrong".

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

Instead of "they were wrong of", use alternatives like "they were wrong about", "they were mistaken about", or "they were incorrect in" depending on the context.

Is "they were wrong of" grammatically correct?

No, "they were wrong of" is not grammatically correct in standard English. The correct phrasing is usually "they were wrong about" or "they were mistaken regarding".

What's the difference between "they were wrong of" and "they were wrong about"?

"They were wrong of" is not a standard English construction and is considered incorrect. "They were wrong about" is the correct and commonly used phrase to indicate that someone was incorrect regarding a particular topic or subject.