what did exist

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "what did exist" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing or reflecting on something that was present or real in the past. Example: "In the ancient ruins, we can only speculate about what did exist before the civilization fell."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

What did exist were the statements of five witnesses who said they saw him with the girl on the day she was killed.

The New York Times

If we retort then that time is what did exist, what exists at present and what will exist, then we notice first that our account is insufficient: after all, there are many things which did, do, or will exist, but these are things that are in time and so not the same as time itself.

SEP

What did exist back then was "sandlot" ball where kids would gather on their own, make up their own teams and rules, and play for hours.

Huffington Post

In each of the six states examined, an accurate estimate of the size of the health workforce was unavailable and what did exist looked incomplete.

Human Resources for Health

Mulligan et al. [ 6] have provided a review of economic evaluations of interventions to address non-communicable diseases in developing countries, concluding that the evidence base was severely limited and what did exist was of low quality.

BMC Public Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

What does exist tends to be either too complicated or too general.

The New York Times

There is surprisingly little research on that question, and what does exist is pretty much entirely focused on America.

The Economist

What does exist is oil, money, and land - the true aims and the true gains of Isis' aggressive territorial warfare.

Independent

What does exist and is truly worth noting, is that we have the largest, most exciting and diverse live comedy scene in the world.

The Guardian

What does exist is the idea of the War on Christmas, which, though forever new, is a venerable tradition, older even than strip malls and plastic mistletoe.

The New Yorker

"What does exist is a living will (the levenswensverklaring), which is distributed by the Christian Dutch Patient Association," in which people can "state that active life termination is not an acceptable option".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing historical contexts, use "what did exist" to clearly indicate elements that were present during that specific period. For instance, "In the Victorian era, what did exist were strict social norms and limited technological advancements."

Common error

Ensure you're not inadvertently using "what does exist" when referring to a past situation. "What did exist" explicitly anchors the existence to a point in the past, preventing ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "what did exist" functions as a relative clause acting as a noun phrase. It typically introduces information about something that was present or a reality at a specific point in the past, often in contrast to the present. Ludwig confirms this usage with examples across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "what did exist" is a grammatically correct relative clause used to describe past realities or conditions. Ludwig AI confirms this. Although not highly frequent, it finds use across diverse contexts, most commonly in news, media, and scientific writing. When using "what did exist", be mindful of maintaining the correct tense and avoiding confusion with present-tense forms. Consider using alternative phrasing like "what was present" for similar meanings. These alternatives offer similar options to communicate things that were present or real at a specific time in the past.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

what was present

Replaces "did exist" with a more direct synonym "was present".

what previously existed

Adds the adverb "previously" to emphasize the past nature of the existence.

what existed at that time

Specifies the point in time when something existed.

what used to exist

Uses the phrase "used to" to indicate a past habit or state.

what had been there

Highlights the location or presence of something in the past.

what obtained then

Replaces "did exist" with the more formal "obtained then".

what was real then

Focuses on the reality or truth of something in the past.

what prevailed in the past

Emphasizes the dominance or commonness of something in the past.

what was the case

Focuses on the state of affairs or situation that existed.

what was around

A more informal way of saying something existed.

FAQs

How can I use "what did exist" in a sentence?

Use "what did exist" to refer to something that was present or real in the past. For example, "What did exist in the old city were narrow streets and ancient buildings."

What's the difference between "what did exist" and "what exists"?

"What did exist" refers to something that was present in the past but may not be now, while "what exists" refers to something present now.

Which is correct, "what did exist" or "what existed"?

Both "what did exist" and "what existed" are grammatically correct. "What did exist" can add emphasis or be used to introduce a contrasting element. /s/what+existed

What are some alternatives to "what did exist"?

Some alternatives include "what was present", "what previously existed", or "what used to exist", depending on the nuance you want to convey.