what the problem was

USAGE SUMMARY

"what the problem was" is a perfectly correct and usable phrase in written English.
You could use it in a sentence like this: "After discussing the issue, I finally understood what the problem was."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Wonder what the problem was?

The New York Times

It didn't say what the problem was.

The New York Times

"I don't know what the problem was".

The New York Times - Sports

No one said precisely what the problem was.

The New Yorker

They never figured out what the problem was.

The New Yorker

But no one was sure what the problem was.

The New York Times

"Not knowing what the problem was was the toughest thing.

The New York Times - Sports

He had no idea what the problem was.

The New York Times

At first, Harlow and his graduate students couldn't figure out what the problem was.

The New Yorker

But, no matter how seriously he considered it, Kino couldn't work out what the problem was.

The New Yorker

Such attacks occurred repeatedly before researchers realized what the problem was.

The New York Times - Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "what the problem was" when seeking clarification or understanding about a previously existing issue, rather than a current or ongoing one.

Common error

Avoid using "what the problem was" when referring to a current issue. Instead, use "what the problem is" for present situations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "what the problem was" functions as an interrogative phrase used to inquire about the cause or nature of a past issue. It seeks to understand the specifics of a situation that has already occurred. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically sound and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "what the problem was" is a grammatically correct and frequently used interrogative phrase that aims to understand a past issue. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is suitable for various contexts, particularly in news, scientific, and business domains. When writing, ensure the context clearly indicates a past situation to avoid confusion. While highly versatile, it's important to select the right tense, differentiating it from "what the problem is" when referring to present issues. Alternative phrases, such as "what was the issue" or "what went wrong", offer similar meanings with slight variations in formality and focus.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

what was the matter

Replaces 'problem' with 'matter', slightly more informal.

what was the issue

Substitutes 'problem' with 'issue', maintaining formality.

what was the difficulty

Replaces 'problem' with 'difficulty', slightly more formal.

what went wrong

Focuses on the failure aspect of the problem.

what was amiss

Uses 'amiss' to indicate something is wrong, more literary.

what happened

More general inquiry about an event.

what was the snag

Uses 'snag' to refer to a sudden or unexpected difficulty.

what led to the problem

Focuses on the chain of events causing the problem.

what was the hitch

Uses 'hitch' to mean a temporary problem or difficulty.

what created the problem

Emphasizes the cause of the problem.

FAQs

How can I use "what the problem was" in a sentence?

You can use "what the problem was" to inquire about a past issue. For example: "After the system crashed, we tried to determine what the problem was."

What's a more formal way to ask "what the problem was"?

A more formal alternative is "what was the issue?" or "what was the difficulty?"

Is it correct to say "what the problem is" instead of "what the problem was"?

Yes, but the correct tense depends on the context. Use "what the problem is" for current issues and "what the problem was" for past issues.

What are some alternative phrases for "what the problem was" in less formal contexts?

In less formal situations, you could say "what went wrong?" or "what happened?"