were not labeled

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "were not labeled" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to items or objects that lack identification or tags. Example: "The boxes in the storage room were not labeled, making it difficult to find the right supplies."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

His injuries were not labeled serious.

The New York Times - Sports

Because the tests were supposed to remain anonymous, the urine samples were not labeled with the players' names.

The New York Times - Sports

Because the tests were supposed to remain anonymous, the urine samples were not labeled with players' names.

The New York Times - Sports

Both he and the imam asked why all Christians were not labeled violent because of the Irish Republican Army's atrocities over the years.

The New York Times

Yet of the 25,000 products he sells, he said, about 25percentt were not labeled as having met European standards for child safety, a threshold stricter than United States standards but less than what the state bill proposes.

The New York Times

The White House said, for example, that some medications used to treat depression and anxiety disorders in children, like Paxil, Prozac and Wellbutrin, were not labeled for pediatric use.

The New York Times

He has also said that the documents, which concerned Chinese electric power plans and contracts and were found in his computer, were not labeled "secret," and that many were provided by his corporate clients.

The New York Times

To make his argument, Mr. Bazerman relied on consumer surveys finding that many people associated green, glass bottles of a certain shape with Perrier water, even if they were not labeled as such.

The New York Times

Cells from images lacking significant signal or ambiguous in localization patterns were not labeled.

Journal of Cheminformatics

The MCF-7 and the patients' human breast epithelial cells (HBE) were not labeled at the statistically significant relaxivity change.

Clinical and Translational Medicine

Display of Images for Various Users: for each simultaneous query, the top-ranked images that were not labeled yet by any users are displayed;   3.

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "were not labeled" in scientific writing, ensure that you clearly explain why the items were not labeled and what implications this has for your research.

Common error

Avoid confusing the passive construction of "were not labeled" with an active voice construction. For instance, don't assume it means someone actively chose not to label something without explicit context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "were not labeled" functions as a passive voice construction, indicating that an action (labeling) was not performed on a subject. Ludwig examples show its use in describing items, samples, or data that lacked identification.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

70%

News & Media

25%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "were not labeled" is a grammatically correct and frequently used expression to indicate the absence of identification or tags. As Ludwig AI confirms, it commonly appears in scientific and news contexts. When writing, it's crucial to understand the passive voice construction and avoid misinterpretations, ensuring clear communication about why something lacked labeling. Alternatives include "were unmarked" or "lacked labels".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

were unmarked

This alternative directly replaces "labeled" with "marked", implying a lack of marking or identification.

lacked labels

This alternative uses a different grammatical structure to express the same meaning: absence of labels.

were not tagged

Similar to "were not labeled", this suggests the absence of tags or identifiers.

were without labels

This uses a prepositional phrase to convey the absence of labels.

were not marked

Emphasizes the absence of any marking or indication.

were unidentified

This alternative focuses on the lack of identification, implying that the items' identities were unknown.

were not identified

Focuses on lack of identity assigned to the items.

remained unclassified

This alternative suggests a lack of categorization or classification.

were not designated

This implies a lack of formal designation or assignment.

were left unnamed

This alternative suggests a lack of naming or designation.

FAQs

How can I use "were not labeled" in a sentence?

You can use "were not labeled" to indicate that certain items or objects lacked identification or tags. For example, "The samples "were not labeled" with the patient's name to maintain anonymity."

What are some alternatives to "were not labeled"?

Alternatives include "were unmarked", "lacked labels", or "were unidentified depending on the specific context".

Is it correct to say "was not labeled" instead of "were not labeled"?

Use "was not labeled" for singular subjects (e.g., "The box was not labeled"), and "were not labeled" for plural subjects (e.g., "The boxes "were not labeled"").

What does it mean when something "were not labeled" in a scientific context?

In a scientific context, if samples or data ""were not labeled"", it typically means they lacked identifying information, often to ensure impartiality or anonymity in the study.