were surveyed

USAGE SUMMARY

"were surveyed" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you are describing a group of people or objects that you researched or collected data from. Example sentence: A group of 500 people were surveyed in order to understand consumer preferences.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Ten countries were surveyed.

The Economist

How many people were surveyed?

The New York Times

Their earnings were surveyed as of 1995.

The New York Times

Thirteen thousand people over the age of 18 were surveyed.

The New York Times

If you were surveyed, it was a compliment.

The New York Times - Arts

About 500-plus individuals were surveyed in the remaining countries.

The Guardian

We originally said more than 28,000 people were surveyed.

The Guardian

Some 884 women and 401 men were surveyed.

The New York Times

Which demographics were surveyed, and who paid for the research?

The Guardian - Books

About 1,000 carers were surveyed.

BBC

Both traffic directions were surveyed.

European Transport Research Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "were surveyed", clearly specify who or what was surveyed to provide context and avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "were surveyed" without explicitly stating the subject of the survey. For example, instead of saying "Results were surveyed", specify "The survey results were analyzed."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "were surveyed" functions as a passive verb phrase. It indicates that the subject of the sentence underwent the action of being surveyed. Ludwig provides examples showing its usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

54%

News & Media

44%

Formal & Business

2%

Less common in

Social Media

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "were surveyed" is a common and grammatically sound passive verb phrase used to describe the action of conducting a survey. As confirmed by Ludwig, it accurately reflects that the subjects underwent the surveying process. Predominantly found in scientific and news-related articles, this phrase clearly communicates that data or opinions were gathered from a specific group. To ensure clarity, always specify who or what "were surveyed". Understanding its function and purpose will allow for more precise and effective communication in both academic and professional contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

were polled

Replaces "surveyed" with "polled", focusing on opinion gathering.

were questioned

Substitutes "surveyed" with "questioned", highlighting the act of asking questions.

were examined

Uses "examined" instead of "surveyed", emphasizing a detailed inspection.

were investigated

Replaces "surveyed" with "investigated", implying a more in-depth inquiry.

were assessed

Substitutes "surveyed" with "assessed", focusing on the evaluation aspect.

were studied

Uses "studied" instead of "surveyed", emphasizing a research-oriented approach.

underwent a survey

Restructures the sentence to emphasize the act of undergoing a survey.

were canvassed

Replaces "surveyed" with "canvassed", suggesting a systematic solicitation of opinions.

data was gathered from

Shifts focus to the data collection process, rather than the act of surveying.

information was collected from

Similar to the previous, emphasizes the collection of information.

FAQs

How do I use "were surveyed" in a sentence?

Use "were surveyed" to indicate that a group of people or items was examined or investigated, typically to gather data or opinions. For example, "Participants "were surveyed" annually with mailed questionnaires".

What can I say instead of "were surveyed"?

You can use alternatives like "were polled", "were questioned", or "were examined" depending on the context.

Is it better to use active or passive voice with "survey"?

Whether to use active or passive voice depends on the emphasis you want to convey. Active voice (e.g., "Researchers surveyed participants") emphasizes the actors. Passive voice ("Participants "were surveyed"") emphasizes the recipients of the action.

Which is correct: "were surveyed by" or "were surveyed"?

Both can be correct, depending on the context. "Were surveyed by" is used when you want to specify who conducted the survey (e.g., "The residents "were surveyed" by the local council"). "Were surveyed" is used when the actor is not important or already understood.