took exams

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "took exams" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the action of participating in or completing assessments or tests, typically in an academic context. Example: "Last semester, I took exams in mathematics, science, and history."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Schoolchildren took exams.

The New Yorker

Those blasts, which occurred as students took exams, killed scores of people.

The New York Times

They took exams on different schedules, studying with different professors, running different experiments in their labs.

The New Yorker

Of students pursuing an alternate route to certification, 93percentt of the 7,536 who took exams passed.

The New York Times

She taught us to recognise the fish, invertebrates and sea-bed terrain, and later we took exams in these subjects.

The Guardian - Travel

Photo: Students in Aynata, Lebanon, took exams yesterday outside a school that was damaged during the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

A total of 304 pupils, including 48 girls, took exam.

Unicef

I did take exams.

The Guardian

Think, say, of taking exams.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

At Newcastle, students take exams that are prepared in Britain.

The New York Times

If students want to take exams, they can reschedule them with professors.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about formal assessments, using "took exams" is appropriate and easily understood. Vary your language by using synonyms like "sat for exams" for a more formal tone.

Common error

Ensure you use the correct tense depending on the context. For example, "I will take exams next week" (future tense) versus "I took exams last week" (past tense). Using the wrong tense can confuse the reader.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "took exams" functions as a verb phrase. It typically serves as the predicate of a sentence, indicating the action performed by the subject. Ludwig provides examples showing its use in describing students' participation in examinations.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Formal & Business

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "took exams" is a grammatically sound and commonly used verb phrase that describes the action of participating in examinations. Ludwig confirms that its use is correct and appropriate across various contexts. While "took exams" is suitable for most situations, alternatives like "sat for exams" may be preferred for more formal settings. Awareness of tense and context ensures accurate and effective communication. The phrase appears frequently in News & Media sources. Overall, understanding these nuances will improve clarity and precision in writing and speaking.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

sat for exams

Replaces "took" with "sat for", emphasizing the formal process of taking an exam.

completed examinations

Uses a more formal term "examinations" and emphasizes the completion aspect.

underwent testing

Focuses on the testing process itself, rather than the specific act of taking exams.

participated in assessments

Emphasizes involvement in the assessment process, using a broader term.

underwent assessments

Focuses on the undergoing assessment process rather than the test-taking action.

appeared for examinations

Highlights the act of showing up or being present for the examinations.

tackled exams

Suggests a proactive approach to dealing with exams, implying effort and challenge.

faced exams

Emphasizes the challenging nature of exams and the act of confronting them.

underwent evaluations

Emphasizes the evaluation process, using a more general term.

attempted examinations

Focuses on the effort of attempting the exams, regardless of the outcome.

FAQs

How can I use "took exams" in a sentence?

You can use "took exams" to describe the action of participating in or completing examinations. For instance, "She took exams in mathematics and science last semester".

What's a formal alternative to "took exams"?

A more formal alternative is "sat for exams", which emphasizes the formal setting and process of the examination.

Is it correct to say "take exams" or "took exams"?

Both are correct, but they refer to different times. "Take exams" is present or future tense, while "took exams" is past tense. For example, "I will take exams next week" versus "I took exams last week".

What can I say instead of "took exams" to emphasize the difficulty?

If you want to highlight the challenge, you could say "faced exams" or "tackled exams", which suggests overcoming obstacles during the assessment.