were fought

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "were fought" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in the passive voice to indicate that battles or conflicts took place in the past. Example: "Many wars were fought over territorial disputes throughout history."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Wars were fought.

The Guardian - Opinion

Duels were fought over it.

The New York Times - Arts

The battles were fought by proxies.

The Economist

The battles were fought in East Prussia.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Two famous battles were fought near Stirling.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Appointments were fought over by party bosses.

The Economist

Old wars were fought across distances.

The Guardian - Opinion

Past wars were fought to expand empires.

The New York Times

That's what the battles were fought over.

The Guardian - Opinion

Huge rearguard actions were fought by Rome.

The Guardian - Books

Between the dates mentioned above, nine battles were fought.

Columbia University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "were fought" to describe conflicts, battles, or struggles that occurred in the past. Ensure the subject is plural to match the verb "were".

Common error

Avoid using "was fought" when referring to multiple events or battles; use "were fought" to maintain subject-verb agreement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "were fought" functions as a passive voice construction indicating that a battle, conflict, or struggle occurred. As confirmed by Ludwig, it's grammatically sound. The auxiliary verb "were" and the past participle "fought" convey an action done to a plural subject.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

54%

Academia

21%

Encyclopedias

12%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Science

7%

Formal & Business

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "were fought" is a grammatically correct and widely used phrase to describe past conflicts or struggles. Ludwig AI confirms its validity, and the examples demonstrate its prevalence in news, academic, and encyclopedic contexts. When using this phrase, ensure subject-verb agreement by using a plural subject and consider alternatives like "took place" or "were waged" for slight variations in meaning. Remembering to use "were fought" instead of "was fought" in plural constructions will prevent common grammatical errors.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

were waged

Emphasizes the active and sustained nature of the conflict or struggle.

saw action

Refers specifically to instances where military engagement took place.

were contested

Highlights the adversarial nature of the conflict, focusing on opposing sides.

were engaged in

Suggests active participation and involvement in the conflict.

took place

Replaces "were fought" with a more general term indicating that events happened.

unfolded

Implies a gradual and revealed nature of the conflict.

were conducted

Implies a more organized or structured approach to the conflict.

occurred

Similar to "transpired", but slightly less formal.

were carried out

Focuses on the execution or implementation of the conflict.

transpired

A more formal and general way of saying that events happened.

FAQs

How is "were fought" used in a sentence?

"Were fought" indicates that battles, wars, or conflicts happened in the past. For example, "Many battles "were fought" during World War II".

What can I say instead of "were fought"?

Alternatives include "took place", "were waged", or "were contested" depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "was fought" instead of "were fought"?

"Was fought" is used with a singular subject, while "were fought" is used with a plural subject. For example, "The battle was fought" versus "The battles "were fought"".

What is the difference between "were fought" and "had been fought"?

"Were fought" refers to simple past passive, indicating an action that was completed in the past. "Had been fought" is past perfect passive, indicating an action completed before another point in the past.