Writers, editors, and students often stumble over as evidenced by and as evident by because the phrases look similar yet follow different grammatical patterns. In this introduction I will define both forms, label the key parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, pronouns), and show how to check verb tense and subject–verb agreement so your sentences read correctly.
As evidenced by uses a past participle (evidenced, verb used adjectivally) plus a preposition (by) to introduce concrete evidence: The (article) study (noun) was (verb, past simple) persuasive (adjective), as evidenced by the replicated trials (noun phrase). By contrast, as evident by attempts to pair the adjective evident with by; that pairing is usually nonstandard and sounds awkward in many contexts. Correct alternatives include as is evident from, as evident in, or as shown by.
Throughout this article I will mark parts of speech in key examples, verify verb tenses and agreement, check prepositions and modifiers for precision, and fix sentence structure problems such as fragments and run-ons. Doing these checks makes your writing cleaner and more credible.
Contextual Examples
Scientific Reporting
Example: The (article) experiment (noun) failed (verb, past simple), as evidenced by a steady decline (noun phrase) in enzyme activity (noun phrase).
Analysis: experiment (noun, singular) failed (verb, past); as evidenced by functions as a prepositional evidential phrase; a (article) steady (adjective) decline (noun) in (preposition) enzyme (noun) activity (noun) names the evidence. Subject–verb agreement is correct: experiment → failed.
Why this works: As evidenced by implies a passive link: “which is evidenced by.” The past participle evidenced connects cleanly with by to point to observable proof.
News Sentence
Original (problematic): The proposal was risky, as evident by its lack of support.
Analysis: the (article) proposal (noun) was (verb) risky (adjective), as evident by (adjective + preposition) its (possessive pronoun) lack (noun) of (preposition) support (noun).
Why this is weak: Evident normally pairs with from or appears with an auxiliary: as is evident from. The fix improves idiomaticity.
Corrected: The proposal was risky, as is evident from its lack of support.
Correction analysis: Insert auxiliary is (verb, present simple) and switch preposition to from to form a standard idiom. Subject–verb agreement remains unchanged.
Business Writing
Example: Sales increased this quarter, as evidenced by a 12 percent rise (noun phrase) in transactions (noun).
Analysis: Sales (noun, plural) increased (verb, past simple). As evidenced by introduces the measurement that supports the main clause. The plural subject (sales) pairs with the plural verb (increased); the evidential phrase follows and clarifies.
Why this is strong: It points to measurable data as proof and preserves simple sentence flow.
Legal Drafting
Example: The plaintiff’s claim lacks merit, as is evident from the attached affidavit (noun phrase).
Analysis: The (article) plaintiff’s (possessive noun) claim (noun) lacks (verb, present simple) merit (noun). As is evident from is a formal, idiomatic expression where evident (adjective) is linked with from and the auxiliary is. The preposition from points to the attached affidavit as the source.
Why this is formal: Legal writing prefers the explicit “is” to make the logical relation clear.
Informal Speech
Example: He’s wrong, as shown by his own notes.
Analysis: He (pronoun) ’s (contraction of is, verb) wrong (adjective), as shown by his (possessive pronoun) own (adjective) notes (noun). As shown by is direct and idiomatic for spoken or journalistic contexts.
Why use alternatives: As shown by is often shorter and more natural in everyday prose.
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using “As Evident By” Without an Auxiliary or Correct Preposition
Faulty: Attendance dropped, as evident by the empty seats.
Why it’s wrong: Evident typically needs from (as evident from) or the auxiliary is (as is evident from) when followed by a prepositional phrase indicating source. By pairs well with past participles (as evidenced by) but not with bare adjectives.
Fix: Attendance dropped, as evidenced by the empty seats.
Or: Attendance dropped, as is evident from the empty seats.
Parts of speech check (fixed sentence): Attendance (noun) dropped (verb, past simple), as (conjunction), evidenced (past participle/verb form used adjectivally), by (preposition) the (article) empty (adjective) seats (noun). Subject–verb agreement: attendance dropped — correct.
Mistake: Dropping “Is” With “Evident” (Dangling Structure)
Faulty: The results are, as evident from the table.
Why it’s awkward: The clause placement and punctuation are clumsy; include subject in the main clause and avoid comma splice.
Fix: The results are clear, as is evident from the table.
Or: As is evident from the table, the results are clear.
Grammar detail: Adding is corrects the verb form and clarifies that evident is predicated, not merely tacked on.
Mistake: Overusing “As Evidenced By” for Interpretive Claims
Faulty: The theory is brilliant, as evidenced by its elegance.
Why it’s weak: Its elegance is subjective, not objective evidence. As evidenced by should link to observable facts, not opinions.
Fix: The theory is widely admired for its elegance. Or: The theory has been influential, as evidenced by numerous citations (objective measure).
Style note: Reserve as evidenced by for measurable or observable evidence.
Mistake: Subject–Verb Agreement Errors When Inserting Evidence Phrases
Faulty: The results, as evidenced by the data, shows a trend.
Why it’s wrong: Subject–verb agreement error: results (plural) → shows (singular).
Fix: The results, as evidenced by the data, show a trend.
Parts of speech: The (article) results (noun, plural) show (verb, present plural) a (article) trend (noun). The inserted phrase does not change the main subject–verb relationship.
Mistake: Creating Run-Ons With Multiple Evidential Phrases
Faulty: The initiative failed, as evidenced by poor planning, as evident by low morale, and as shown by missed deadlines.
Problem: Repetitive phrasing and mixed idioms create clutter. Keep one clear evidential phrase and list evidence items in parallel.
Fix: The initiative failed, as evidenced by poor planning, low morale, and missed deadlines.
Parallelism check: poor planning (noun phrase), low morale (noun phrase), missed deadlines (noun phrase) — all parallel.
American vs British English Differences
Preference Tendencies
Both American and British English recognize as evidenced by and as is evident from as acceptable idioms, but preferences vary by register. American English favors concise, direct constructions like as shown by or as evidenced by in journalism and business. British English may more often use as is evident from in formal prose. These are tendencies rather than strict rules.
Example (American business): Sales rose, as evidenced by the quarterly report.
Example (British formal): Sales rose, as is evident from the quarterly report.
Grammar point: Both constructions are grammatical; choose based on tone and audience.
Punctuation And Formality
British legal and academic writing sometimes keeps slightly longer, more explicit constructions. American style guides often encourage active voice and shorter clauses. So in an American tech report you might prefer as shown by or as evidenced by, whereas in a British academic paper you may see as is evident from more often.
Translation And Localization
For translators, as evidenced by maps cleanly to many languages because it points to explicit evidence. As evident by is less predictable and can cause awkward literal translations, so avoid it in translatable source text.
Idiomatic Expressions
Strong Evidence Collocations
• As evidenced by + concrete evidence (data, footage, records).
• As is evident from + source (document, chart, testimony).
• As shown by + clear indicator (results, numbers).
• Evident in + location or medium (evident in the graph).
Each collocation has a grammatical profile. Use as evidenced by when you can point to a demonstrable item. Use as is evident from when making a reasoned interpretation from a source.
Emphatic Uses
Example: The community resisted, as is evident from the petitions and town meetings.
Parts of speech: The (article) community (noun) resisted (verb), as (conjunction) is (verb auxiliary), evident (adjective) from (preposition) the (article) petitions (noun) and (conjunction) town (noun) meetings (noun).
Why this is effective: It ties the main claim to concrete civic actions.
Avoiding Weak Idioms
Weak: The author is talented, as evident by her style.
Better: The author’s talent is evident in her style.
Or: The author’s talent is clear, as shown by her style.
Reason: Recasting can remove awkward pairings and make the sentence more direct.
Using Passive Versus Active
Passive: The error was corrected, as evidenced by the updated log.
Active: The updated log shows the error was corrected.
Either is fine; the active voice often reads clearer and shorter. Use passive when the actor is unimportant and you want to emphasize the evidence.
Practical Tips
Tip 1: Choose Collocations That Fit The Evidence
If you have measurable proof (numbers, tests, footage), use as evidenced by. If you are pointing to an interpretation or pattern, use as is evident from or as shown by.
Example: Use as evidenced by the data when citing numbers. Label parts of speech to ensure clarity: data (noun), show (verb), that (conjunction)…
Tip 2: Keep Modifiers Next To What They Modify
Place the evidential phrase next to the clause it supports to avoid dangling modifiers.
Weak: As evidenced by recent complaints, the rollout was rushed, which angered managers. (Which clause does “which angered managers” modify?)
Fix: The rushed rollout, as evidenced by recent complaints, angered managers.
Tip 3: Check Auxiliary Verbs With “Evident”
If you use evident, include the auxiliary: as is evident from or as was evident in. Do not pair evident directly with by.
Tip 4: Verify Subject–Verb Agreement
When an evidential phrase interrupts a sentence, ignore it when matching subject and verb.
Example: The results, as evidenced by several studies, show a pattern. (Results = plural, show = plural.)
Tip 5: Use Parallel Structure For Multiple Evidence Items
When listing evidence after as evidenced by, keep items parallel.
Good: As evidenced by rising costs, declining sales, and staffing shortages.
Bad: As evidenced by rising costs, sales fell, and staffing shortages.
Tip 6: Prefer Active Verbs For Directness
When possible, use active verbs: The chart shows…, The footage proves…, rather than relying on long evidential phrases.
Tip 7: Avoid Overclaiming
Do not use as evidenced by to prove subjective points. Reserve it for observable facts.
Tip 8: Edit Out Redundant Phrases
Phrases like clearly evidenced by can be redundant. Either state the evidence or the conclusion concisely.
Tip 9: Use Clear Prepositions
Remember common pairings: evidenced by, evident from, evident in, shown by. Pick the one that matches the syntactic role of the evidence.
Tip 10: Read Aloud And Test Substitutions
If unsure, read the sentence aloud and try substitutions: Does as shown by sound better than as evident by? Often the substitution reveals the cleaner choice.
Conclusion
The safe, idiomatic choices are as evidenced by, as is evident from, and as shown by. Avoid as evident by because evident pairs naturally with from or needs an auxiliary verb; by pairs naturally with past participles like evidenced. When editing, check parts of speech, ensure correct verb tense and subject–verb agreement, place modifiers next to the words they modify, and prefer parallel lists and active verbs for clarity. These small checks make your writing stronger and your claims more defensible.
FAQs
- Q: Is “as evident by” correct?
A: No. As evident by is generally awkward; prefer as is evident from, as evident in, as shown by, or as evidenced by depending on context. - Q: When should I use “as evidenced by”?
A: Use as evidenced by to introduce clear, observable evidence such as data, footage, records, or test results. - Q: Can I say “as is evident by”?
A: Better to say as is evident from. From indicates the source of evidence more naturally than by when using evident. - Q: Which is more formal, “as evidenced by” or “as shown by”?
A: Both are acceptable; as evidenced by is slightly more formal and often used in academic and technical writing. - Q: How do I fix subject–verb agreement when adding evidential phrases?
A: Ignore the inserted phrase and match the main subject to the main verb: The (subject) results (plural) show (plural) — regardless of inserted evidence clauses. - Q: Is “evidenced” a verb or adjective?
A: Evidenced is a past participle of the verb evidence and often functions adjectivally in phrases like as evidenced by. - Q: Are there regional differences in these expressions?
A: Minor stylistic tendencies exist; both American and British English accept as evidenced by and as is evident from. Choose based on formality and audience.
