wasn't

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the phrase "wasn't" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in various contexts to indicate the negative past tense of "was," often in informal or conversational writing. Example: "She wasn't at the meeting yesterday, so we missed her input."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

She wasn't.

Columbia University

There wasn't.

Princeton University

Cosmopolitan wasn't.

The New York Times

Wasn't sure.

The New Yorker

Gates wasn't.

The New York Times

Wasn't it?

The New York Times - Sports

(He wasn't).

The New York Times

Who wasn't?

The New York Times - Sports

Fanning wasn't.

The New York Times - Magazine

"Santo wasn't.

The New York Times

Wasn't then.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "wasn't" in informal writing and speech for a natural, conversational tone. In formal contexts, consider using "was not".

Common error

Avoid using "wasn't" in formal writing, especially in academic papers or legal documents where full forms are preferred for clarity and precision.

Linguistic Context

"Wasn't" functions as a contracted form of 'was not', serving to negate a statement in the past tense. Ludwig examples show its use in indicating something that did not occur or a state that did not exist. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Science

31%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

"Wasn't" is a common contraction of "was not", used to express negation in the past tense. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness. While acceptable in most contexts, formal writing often prefers the uncontracted form, "was not". The phrase sees frequent usage across news, scientific, and academic domains, demonstrating its broad applicability. Remember to adjust your choice between "wasn't" and "was not" based on the formality of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was not

The uncontracted form of "wasn't", providing a slightly more formal tone.

it was not

Adds explicit subject, useful for clarification or emphasis.

that was not

Specifies 'that' as the subject, changing focus.

did not exist

Expresses absence of something instead of denial of a characteristic.

it failed to be

More formal way of saying it did not turn out to be something.

turned out not to be

Expresses the idea of an outcome contrary to expectation.

happened not to be

Indicates an event that did not occur in a certain way.

did not happen to be

Indicates a chance occurrence that did not happen.

was not the case

Replaces the entire clause with a general statement of negation.

was not true

Directly denies the veracity of a statement.

FAQs

What is the difference between "wasn't" and "was not"?

"Wasn't" is a contraction of "was not". Using "wasn't" is generally more informal, while "was not" is more formal and can be used for emphasis.

How to use "wasn't" in a sentence?

"Wasn't" is used to indicate the negative past tense of the verb 'to be'. For example: "He "wasn't there"" or "It "wasn't easy"".

Is it appropriate to use "wasn't" in formal writing?

While "wasn't" is grammatically correct, it's generally better to use the full form "was not" in formal writing to maintain a more professional tone.

What are some alternatives to "wasn't"?

Alternatives to "wasn't" include "was not", or rephrasing the sentence to use a different verb. For example, instead of "It "wasn't working"", you could say "It "failed to work"".