Subject vs. Subjected – Which is Correct?
Both “will be subject to” and “will be subjected to” are correct, but they are not interchangeable in every context. Use “subject” as an adjective meaning likely to experience or bound by something. Use “subjected” as a passive verb meaning deliberately exposed to an action, treatment, or condition, often forcefully.
Subject or Subjected—Which Is Correct?
Both “subject” and “subjected” are correct, but they serve different grammatical purposes in the phrase “will be ___ to.” The choice depends on whether you are describing a condition or emphasizing an action imposed on someone or something.
Will be subject to uses subject as an adjective. It means “will be liable to,” “will be affected by,” or “will have to comply with.” This construction is common in formal, legal, business, and academic writing.
Will be subjected to uses subjected as the past participle of the verb subject. It means “will be exposed to,” “will undergo,” or “will be made to experience” something. It often highlights an intentional action, a procedure, or an unpleasant treatment.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the condition-versus-action test. If the sentence describes a rule, possibility, requirement, or general condition, choose subject to. If it describes something being actively done to a person or object, choose subjected to.
Try replacing the phrase with a simpler expression:
- If “will be liable to” or “will be affected by” makes sense, use will be subject to.
- If “will undergo” or “will be exposed to” makes sense, use will be subjected to.
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Adjective | Liable, likely, or required to experience something | The purchase will be subject to approval. |
| Subjected | Past participle verb | Exposed to or made to undergo something | The material will be subjected to intense heat. |
How to Use Subject
In the expression will be subject to, subject is an adjective followed by the preposition to. The phrase usually indicates that a person, thing, decision, payment, or activity is governed by a rule or may experience a particular condition.
This construction is especially frequent in formal writing. It often appears in contracts, policies, regulations, financial notices, scientific reports, and official announcements. It does not necessarily suggest that anyone is deliberately applying the condition.
Example 1: All applications will be subject to review by the admissions committee.
Example 2: The final price will be subject to change without notice.
Example 3: Imported goods will be subject to customs duties.
What Are the Different Forms of Subject?
In “will be subject to,” subject functions as an adjective, so it does not change for singular or plural nouns. You can write “the shipment will be subject to inspection” and “the shipments will be subject to inspection.” The phrase remains the same.
Subject also has other grammatical uses. As a noun, it can mean a topic, an academic area, or a person under authority. As a verb, subject means to expose someone or something to a condition. The related verb forms include subjects, subjected, and subjecting.
Because subject can function differently in a sentence, compare it with Subject vs. Object when identifying grammatical roles.
Etymology of the Word Subject
Subject comes from the Latin subicere, meaning “to place under.” It entered English through Old French and Latin forms associated with being placed under authority or control. This history explains the word’s modern connections with topics, people under authority, and things exposed to conditions.
How to Use Subjected
In the expression will be subjected to, subjected is the past participle of the verb subject. It forms a passive construction: someone or something receives an action rather than performing it.
This phrase commonly describes testing, inspection, pressure, violence, treatment, criticism, or another deliberate process. It can be neutral in technical and scientific contexts, but it often carries a negative or forceful tone when used with people.
Example 1: The bridge will be subjected to a series of safety tests.
Example 2: The patients will be subjected to additional monitoring during the trial.
Example 3: The prisoners will be subjected to harsh questioning.
What Are the Different Forms of Subjected?
Subjected is the past participle and simple past form of the regular verb subject. Its main forms are:
- Base form: subject
- Third-person singular: subjects
- Present participle: subjecting
- Past tense: subjected
- Past participle: subjected
In “will be subjected to,” the word will creates the future, be marks the passive construction, and subjected is the past participle. For example, “The samples will subject the machine to testing” has a different structure and meaning, while “The samples will be subjected to testing” correctly shows that the samples receive the testing.
Etymology of the Word Subjected
Subjected comes from the verb subject, which developed from Latin roots meaning “to place under.” The ending -ed marks both the simple past and past participle of this regular verb. Its modern meaning emphasizes placing a person or thing under an action, influence, process, or authority.
Related Concepts
Understanding adjectives, passive voice, and formal collocations makes the difference between “will be subject to” and “will be subjected to” easier to recognize.
- Adjective phrases: In “will be subject to,” subject describes the condition or status of the noun. The phrase means that the noun is liable to or governed by something.
- Passive voice: In “will be subjected to,” the grammatical subject receives an action. The person or thing is acted upon, even when the person performing the action is not mentioned.
- Prepositional collocations: Both expressions are normally followed by to, as in “subject to inspection” and “subjected to inspection.” Using by after these phrases generally changes the construction.
- Formal register: “Subject to” is especially common in official and legal language, while “subjected to” appears frequently in technical descriptions and reports of imposed treatment.
Examples from Media and Literature
Writers in journalism, fiction, science, and public policy use these expressions to make different shades of meaning clear:
- News reporting: A financial article may state that a proposed transaction “will be subject to regulatory approval,” describing a condition that must be met.
- Legal writing: A court or government notice may explain that a violation “will be subject to penalties,” meaning penalties may legally apply.
- Scientific reporting: A laboratory report may say that test specimens “will be subjected to extreme temperatures,” emphasizing the procedure performed on them.
- Historical writing: A biography may describe how a population “was subjected to forced relocation,” highlighting an imposed and harmful action.
- Fictional dialogue: A character might warn, “The agreement will be subject to the captain’s approval,” while a later scene could say, “The vessel was subjected to severe storms.”
Practice Exercises
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence: subject or subjected.
- The permit will be ______ to annual renewal.
- The equipment will be ______ to a pressure test before shipment.
- All refunds will be ______ to the terms of the company’s policy.
- The witnesses will be ______ to questioning by the investigators.
- The results will be ______ to independent verification.
Answer Key
- subject — The permit will be subject to annual renewal.
- subjected — The equipment will be subjected to a pressure test before shipment.
- subject — All refunds will be subject to the terms of the company’s policy.
- subjected — The witnesses will be subjected to questioning by the investigators.
- subjected — The results will be subjected to independent verification.
Subject Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Liable to | Legally or practically likely to experience something |
| Affected by | Influenced or changed by something |
| Governed by | Controlled or regulated by a rule or authority |
| Dependent on | Determined or conditioned by something else |
| Conditional on | Allowed or completed only if a requirement is met |
Subjected Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Exposed to | Placed in contact with or made vulnerable to something |
| Put through | Made to experience a process or difficult situation |
| Underwent | Experienced or completed a process |
| Tested | Evaluated through an examination or trial |
| Confronted with | Made to face a problem, condition, or experience |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “will be subject to” correct?
Yes. “Will be subject to” is correct when you mean that someone or something will be liable to, affected by, governed by, or required to comply with something. For example: “The contract will be subject to approval.”
Question 2: Is “will be subjected to” correct?
Yes. “Will be subjected to” is correct when you mean that someone or something will undergo or be exposed to an action or treatment. For example: “The samples will be subjected to further testing.”
Question 3: Should I use “subject” or “subjected” in formal writing?
Use the word that matches the intended meaning. Choose “subject” for a rule, condition, requirement, or possibility. Choose “subjected” when emphasizing an action imposed on a person or thing. Neither word is automatically more formal or more correct.
Conclusion
“Will be subject to” describes a condition, rule, requirement, or possible effect, while “will be subjected to” describes an action or process imposed on someone or something. Remember the difference with the condition-versus-action test: use subject for “liable to” and subjected for “made to undergo.” Pro tip: Choosing the precise expression strengthens your credibility in professional, legal, and academic writing.
