were not retrieved

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "were not retrieved" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where data, information, or items were expected to be obtained but were not found or accessed. Example: "The requested files were not retrieved from the server due to a connection error."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

When some boats were not retrieved, Mr. Card said, he left them anchored or moored, trusting that the owners would show up.

The New York Times

Some of the root-derived sequences were from lineages other than those species isolated from the field and some of the isolated species were not retrieved as sequences from the roots.

Mycological Research

To reconcile these two apparently contradictory observations, it is necessary that the shallower part of the hanging wall sediments, which were not retrieved from core measurements, should have very high V p/V s values.

Earth, Planets and Space

Body collection throughout the city began on approximately September 9. Prior to that date, the locations of corpses were recorded, but most were not retrieved.

Wikipedia

After the battle, some bodies of the killed RSK soldiers were thrown into a karst pit and were not retrieved until August, when the released prisoners of war informed the UNPROFOR of the location of the bodies.

Wikipedia

In fact, most of the reliable pairs for the whole proteome were not retrieved by the Arifuzzaman's experiment and therefore they couldn't be recovered by APPIA.

Plosone

Eighteen recognized species of Hydroporini were not retrieved among the monophyletic cox1 clusters using joining-joining tree building or SpeciesIdentifier clustering.

Plosone

The observed increase in follicular fluid AEA concentrations with increased follicle size and lower AEA concentrations in follicles from which oocytes were not retrieved indicate that AEA is probably involved in the maturation of follicles or the oocyte.

Plosone

The structure of the ectodomain of the type II BMP receptor (2HLQ) and uPAR (2FD6) were not retrieved by these methods, but were also included in the analysis, in the case of uPAR as three independent domains.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

When they were not retrieving a lodged ball from the covers, they were shelling catches – Wright benefited from three drops on 118, 175 and 203.

The Guardian - Sport

Optically thinner clouds are not retrieved because they are excluded in the retrieval algorithm as clear sky.

Progress in Earth and Planetary Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "were not retrieved" when you specifically want to indicate that something was not successfully accessed or obtained, especially after an attempt to do so. For example, "The data from the hard drive "were not retrieved" after the crash."

Common error

Avoid overusing the passive voice, as it can sometimes make your writing sound unclear or indirect. Consider rewriting sentences in the active voice if it improves clarity. For example, instead of "The documents "were not retrieved" by the system", try "The system did not retrieve the documents".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "were not retrieved" functions as a passive verb phrase, indicating that the subject of the sentence did not undergo the action of being retrieved. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is commonly used in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

69%

News & Media

10%

Wiki

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "were not retrieved" is a grammatically correct and widely used passive verb phrase that indicates a failure to access or obtain something. As Ludwig AI points out, it's appropriate for various contexts, including scientific, news, and general writing. While alternatives like "were not obtained" or "were not accessed" exist, "were not retrieved" effectively conveys the intended meaning in most situations. Remember to consider the active voice for clarity in some cases and avoid overusing the passive voice unnecessarily.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

were not obtained

Focuses on the failure to get or acquire something.

were not found

Emphasizes the absence of something that was searched for.

were not recovered

Highlights the inability to get something back.

were not accessed

Focuses on the inability to gain entry or use of something.

were not located

Emphasizes the failure to pinpoint the position of something.

were not secured

Highlights the inability to make something safe or certain.

were not extracted

Focuses on the failure to pull something out from a source.

were not gathered

Emphasizes the failure to collect things together.

were not regained

Highlights the loss and subsequent inability to get something back.

were not compiled

Focuses on the failure to assemble or collect information.

FAQs

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

Use "were not retrieved" to indicate that items, data, or information could not be accessed or obtained. For example: "The lost files "were not retrieved" from the damaged drive".

What's a formal alternative to "were not retrieved"?

In formal writing, consider using "were not obtained" or "were not accessed". These alternatives maintain a professional tone while conveying a similar meaning.

What does it mean when something "were not retrieved"?

When something "were not retrieved", it means that it was not successfully located, accessed, or obtained. The phrase implies an attempt was made to find or access it.

Is it better to say "were not retrieved" or "could not be retrieved"?

Both "were not retrieved" and "could not be retrieved" are grammatically correct. The choice depends on the context. "Were not retrieved" implies a past action that did not succeed, while "could not be retrieved" suggests an inability to retrieve something.