was found

USAGE SUMMARY

"was found" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use "was found" when you are referring to someone or something having been located, discovered, or identified, such as in the sentence: "The lost toy was found in the corner of the room."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"Jennifer was found there.

The New York Times

Happiness was found.

The New York Times - Food

A match was found.

The New York Times - Sports

Nothing conclusive was found.

The New York Times - Sports

No gun was found.

The New York Times

(He was found guilty).

The New York Times

Still nothing was found.

Independent

She was found dead.

The New York Times

No bomb was found.

The Economist

The man was found.

The New Yorker

No intruder was found.

Princeton University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "was found" to clearly indicate a passive discovery or identification. Ensure the subject receiving the action is clearly stated.

Common error

Avoid using active voice when the focus should be on the object discovered, not the discoverer. For example, instead of "They found the treasure", use "The treasure "was found"" to emphasize the treasure.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "was found" functions as a passive voice construction, indicating that the subject of the sentence received the action of being discovered or located. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Academia

15%

Science

15%

Less common in

Wiki

8%

Encyclopedias

2%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "was found" is a grammatically correct and frequently used passive voice construction that indicates a discovery or location. Ludwig AI validates this, showcasing its prevalence across various sources. It is most commonly seen in news and media, academic writing, and scientific publications. While "was found" is a versatile phrase, be mindful of using active voice when the focus should be on the actor. Alternatives such as "has been discovered", "was located", and "turned up" can be used for semantic variation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was identified

Emphasizes the act of recognizing or determining what something is.

was located

Focuses on the physical positioning of something that was found.

has been discovered

Replaces the passive voice with a present perfect passive construction, emphasizing the recent nature of the discovery.

has been ascertained

Offers a more formal and definitive tone, implying that something has been established with certainty.

was detected

Highlights the use of technical means or observation to find something that was not immediately apparent.

turned up

Uses a phrasal verb to indicate the finding or locating of something, often unexpectedly.

proved to be

Indicates that something was found to have certain qualities or characteristics.

emerged

Suggests something came into view or became known after being hidden or unclear.

materialized

Implies something became real or appeared, often after a period of anticipation or searching.

was unearthed

Suggests discovery through investigation or digging, often used metaphorically.

FAQs

How do I use "was found" in a sentence?

Use "was found" to indicate that something or someone was discovered or located by an unspecified actor. For example, "The missing artifact "was found" in the museum's storage room".

What can I say instead of "was found"?

You can use alternatives like "has been discovered", "was located", or "turned up" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "was find" instead of "was found"?

No, "was find" is grammatically incorrect. The correct passive past participle form of "find" is "found". Therefore, the correct phrase is "was found".

What is the difference between "was found" and "is found"?

"Was found" refers to a past event where something was discovered, while "is found" refers to a present state of being located or a general truth. For example, "The solution "was found" yesterday", versus "The solution "is found" in this manual".