Has been preferred

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Has been preferred" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something has been chosen or favored over another option in the past and continues to be so. Example: "In recent years, a more sustainable approach to farming has been preferred by many agricultural experts."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Men's doubles has been preferred.

The Guardian - Sport

Bopara has been preferred in the 15-man squad ahead of Samit Patel, who can consider himself a shade unfortunate.

Independent

Hence the six batsmen, a wicketkeeper-batsman (in essence an all-rounder himself) and four bowlers that has been preferred.

Independent

JD 1.09pm: Surprising athletics story: Nicola Sanders has been preferred to the Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu to run the 400m at the European Team Championships in Bergen.

The Guardian - Sport

Wales's Stephen Jones has been preferred to Ronan O'Gara of Ireland as the Lions' fly-half for the first Test against South Africa in Durban on Saturday.

The Guardian - Sport

On this Ashes tour, Watson has been preferred as a middle-order batsman over Mitchell Marsh, essentially, on the strength of his bowling.

The Guardian - Sport

For the title of the novel as a whole, Kilmartin's plain and vigorous In Search of Lost Time has been preferred over Moncrieff's delicately Shakespearean Remembrance of Things Past.

The Guardian - Books

Against Nimzovich's innovative 4... Ba6, the quiet, solid 5 b3 has been preferred to 5 Qa4 or 5 Qb3, which may put the queen out of play, and 5 Nbd2, which denies White the power of a knight on c3.

The New York Times

Tigerish in the tackle one moment, a near Olympic sprinter the next, the baby in Ferguson's class of '99 has been preferred to United's £5m defender Henning Berg this season.

The Guardian - Sport

In a surprise selection on the left wing, Marland Yarde has been preferred to Jack Nowell, another of Jones' grand slam heroes and a player who has impressed all season.

The Guardian - Sport

Spinner James Tredwell has been preferred to Swann.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "has been preferred" to show an action of preferring something over another in the past that continues to be used now.

Common error

While "has been preferred" is grammatically correct, overuse of passive voice can make writing sound weak. Consider active voice alternatives where appropriate to create more direct and engaging sentences.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "has been preferred" functions as a passive voice construction, indicating that a choice or selection has been made and continues to be favored. As Ludwig AI confirms, this construction is both grammatically correct and usable. Examples from Ludwig illustrate its use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

54%

News & Media

32%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "has been preferred" is a grammatically sound phrase used to express a continuing preference for one option over another. As Ludwig AI validates, this phrase is correct and widely applicable. Predominantly found in scientific and news media contexts, it conveys a sense of informed choice and sustained favor. While effective, writers should be mindful of overusing the passive voice and consider active alternatives for more direct communication. Using "has been preferred" correctly ensures clarity and precision in conveying preferences.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has been favored

Uses a synonym for "preferred", offering a slight variation in wording.

was favored

Changes the tense to simple past, indicating a preference at a specific time.

was chosen

Replaces "preferred" with a more direct synonym, focusing on the act of selection.

was selected

Similar to "was chosen", but implies a more formal or deliberate selection process.

has gained preference

Shifts the focus to the process of becoming preferred, rather than the state of being preferred.

is the preferred option

Changes the structure to emphasize the current status as the preferred choice.

is the favored choice

Similar to "is the preferred option", using "favored" as a synonym.

holds precedence

Indicates that something takes priority or comes before other options.

takes priority

Emphasizes the prioritization of one thing over another.

is given priority

Highlights that something is being actively prioritized.

FAQs

How to use "has been preferred" in a sentence?

"Has been preferred" is used to indicate that something was chosen over another option and continues to be favored. For example, "In this study, method A "has been preferred" to method B due to its accuracy."

What can I say instead of "has been preferred"?

You can use alternatives like "was favored", "was chosen", or "has been favored" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "has been preferred" or "is preferred"?

"Has been preferred" indicates a past action with continuing relevance, while "is preferred" indicates a current preference. The correct choice depends on whether you want to emphasize the historical aspect of the preference.

What's the difference between "has been preferred" and "was preferred"?

"Has been preferred" suggests the preference started in the past and continues to the present, while "was preferred" indicates a preference that existed in the past but may not necessarily continue.