written you

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "written you" is not correct in standard written English.
It is not a commonly used expression and may confuse readers. Example: "I have written you a letter regarding the upcoming meeting."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

It's short notice — I should have written you about it.

The New Yorker

"Maybe I should have written, 'You are loved,' " he said.

The New York Times

"I'm like: 'Babe, I've written you this song.' Nothing.

The Guardian - Music

He declined to elaborate, saying only, "When it will be written you will know".

The New York Times

"So I have written you this letter because I want you to know I care".

The New York Times

He's written you a letter in order to feel better about himself.

Independent

"Unfortunately, the way the Marine Act is written, you have to take socio-economics into account.

Independent

"I do think," Jean said, "she should have written you instead".

The New Yorker

I'd even written you a note, just in case you forgot about it.

The Guardian - Books

In France, if you make a film you haven't written, you don't get much respect.

The New York Times

Once written, you need to keep your will safe and secure.

The Guardian - Money

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the preposition "to" after "written" when indicating the recipient of a written communication. For example, use "I have written to you" instead of "I have written you".

Common error

Avoid omitting the preposition "to" after the verb "write" when indicating the recipient. Saying "I've "written you"" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "I've "written to you"".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "written you" functions as a verb phrase where "written" acts as the past participle of the verb "write" and "you" is intended as the indirect object. However, this construction is grammatically incorrect in standard English, requiring the preposition 'to' as noted by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

72%

Wiki

11%

Huffington Post

9%

Less common in

The New Yorker

3%

The Guardian - Books

1%

Forbes

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "written you" is commonly found, but it is grammatically incorrect in standard English. As Ludwig AI indicates, the correct form is ""written to you"". Although it appears frequently in news and media sources, its incorrectness diminishes its suitability for formal or professional communication. Alternatives like "sent you a letter" or "messaged you" are recommended for clear and professional communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

written to you

Adds the preposition "to", making the phrase grammatically correct in standard English.

have written to you

Uses the present perfect tense with the correct preposition.

wrote a letter to you

Clarifies the action of writing in a more formal and structured way.

sent you a letter

Replaces the verb "written" with "sent" and specifies the medium as a letter.

did write to you

Emphasizes the act of writing using the auxiliary verb "did".

dropped you a line

Uses an idiomatic expression to mean sending a brief message.

messaged you

Emphasizes the act of sending a digital message.

emailed you

Specifies the communication method as email.

composed a message for you

Highlights the careful construction of the message.

prepared a letter for you

Focuses on the preparation of the letter, rather than the act of sending.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say I've communicated with you in writing?

The correct way to say you've communicated with someone in writing is "I've "written to you"". The phrase ""written you"" is grammatically incorrect.

What can I say instead of "written you"?

Instead of ""written you"", you can say ""written to you"", "sent you a letter", or "messaged you" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "written you" or "written to you"?

"Written to you" is the correct form. The phrase ""written you"" is grammatically incorrect in standard English.

How do I use the phrase 'written' correctly when referring to someone receiving the communication?

Always use the preposition "to" after "written" when indicating the recipient. For instance, "I have "written to you" about the changes" is correct.