I'd never seen before

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of a sentence "I'd never seen before" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something you had not seen prior to that moment. For example: "I saw a bird in the garden that I'd never seen before."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

"It was an enormous amount of hate that I'd never seen before," he recalled.

The New Yorker

It was the kind of thing I'd never seen before," Batty says, on the phone from Melbourne.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Meanwhile, two photographs I'd never seen before have turned up.

Huffington Post

This was like a modern rave Peruvian style the like I'd never seen before," Morales recalls.

Vice

"He did things I'd never seen before.

The Guardian - Sport

"That's something I'd never seen before".

The New York Times - Sports

I saw things that I'd never seen before.

The New Yorker

They had these giant machines I'd never seen before.

The New York Times

I started seeing things I'd never seen before".

The New Yorker

There was an atmosphere there that I'd never seen before.

The New York Times - Sports

There was an underground lawlessness like I'd never seen before.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "I'd never seen before" to express genuine surprise or novelty. It adds a personal touch and emphasizes the impact of the new experience.

Common error

Avoid using present tense when describing past experiences. For example, instead of saying "I never see that before", use the correct past perfect tense: "I'd never seen that before".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I'd never seen before" functions as part of a relative clause, modifying a noun or pronoun by providing additional information about something the speaker experienced as new or unfamiliar. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable nature in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

76%

Formal & Business

12%

Science

6%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Reference

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "I'd never seen before" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to convey novelty and surprise, according to Ludwig AI. As demonstrated by a multitude of examples, it is most commonly found in news and media but also is versatile enough to be employed in professional or scientific contexts. While generally neutral in register, it adds a personal touch to descriptions of new experiences. For more formal or emphatic alternatives, one can use "I had not witnessed previously" or ""I'd never laid eyes on"".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I hadn't seen before

Simple tense change, emphasizing the past perfect aspect of not having seen something.

I had not witnessed before

Replaces "seen" with "witnessed", adding a sense of observation or witnessing an event.

I'd not encountered previously

Uses "encountered" to suggest a meeting or experience, rather than just seeing.

It was new to me

Simplifies the statement to express that something was a novel experience for the speaker.

I was unfamiliar with

Focuses on the speaker's lack of familiarity with something.

I'd never laid eyes on

Emphasizes the visual aspect, suggesting a striking or remarkable sight.

This was unprecedented for me

Highlights the novelty of the experience, indicating it was unlike anything previously experienced.

I'd not been exposed to

Suggests a lack of prior experience or introduction to something.

It was a first for me

Directly states that something was a novel experience.

I had never come across

Implies discovering something new or unexpected.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "I'd never seen before" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "I had not witnessed previously", "I was unfamiliar with this", or "This was unprecedented for me". The phrase "I hadn't seen before" is also an option.

What's a more emphatic way to say "I'd never seen before"?

To emphasize your surprise, you could say "I'd never laid eyes on" this before or It was unlike anything I had ever witnessed.

How do I use "I'd never seen before" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe something you experienced for the first time. For example, "The mountains bulged and swelled outwards from Earth in a fashion "I'd never seen before"."

Is "I'd never saw before" grammatically correct?

No, "I'd never saw before" is incorrect. The correct phrasing is ""I'd never seen before"", using the past participle "seen".