documents has been sent

USAGE SUMMARY

'documents have been sent' is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when referring to the action of sending a document, e.g. "I have sent the documents to the client."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

These documents had been sent to me by Sabir, an MA politics student at the university.

The Guardian - Opinion

Bryant later confirmed copies of the identity documents have been sent to the Syrian consulate: "Hope these will be considered favourably by the C-G," he wrote.

The Guardian

In the past, he said, similar documents have been sent in the mail specifically to Jewish residents and a few years ago, racist stickers were found posted at the Sunrise Mall in Massapequa.

The New York Times

The documents have been sent by the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT), a unit led by Mark Warwick, a former senior police detective, and set up after claims of systemic brutal treatment of Iraqi detainees.

The Guardian

These included: 281 incidents when information had been mistakenly sent via email, documents had been sent to the wrong address, or other similar accidents.

BBC

Written protocol documents had been sent to each local screening towns and villages.

Plosone

The document has been sent to every local authority and governing body in the country but is not legally binding.

Independent

Copies of our document have been sent to every Israeli household and published in the major Palestinian newspapers.

The New York Times

Upon realising the document had already been sent, Burnett says he received a "phone call from the White House" asking him to send a follow-up email saying that the document "had been sent in error".

The Guardian - Opinion

A Spanish security official said the document had been sent to border control officers in the north-eastern Catalonia region next to France.

Independent

So CAAT took BAE Systems to court, and there the company was forced to admit that the document had been sent to them, unsolicited, by Paul Mercer, whose company, LigneDeux Associates, was paid by BAE Systems to provide "media and internet monitoring" on CAAT.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the passive voice, ensure that the agent (the sender) is either unknown, unimportant, or deliberately omitted for stylistic reasons. For example: "The documents have been sent" (agent unknown or unimportant).

Common error

Avoid using the phrase if the receiver needs to know who sent the document. In such instances, using the active voice provides more clarity: "I have sent the document" is clearer than "The document has been sent".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "documents has been sent" functions as a passive construction, indicating that the action of sending has been performed on the documents, but does not explicitly state who performed the action. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is considered usable.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Less common in

Wiki

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Encyclopedias

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Reference

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "documents has been sent" is a grammatically flawed, and lacks significant usage examples across diverse contexts. Ludwig AI reports it as usable, which does not align with this analysis as its a grammatical error. While the phrase attempts to convey that documents have been dispatched, its lack of clarity and frequency suggests that alternative phrasings, particularly those in the active voice, are more effective. Writers should aim for clarity and directness by specifying the sender when relevant and ensure subject-verb agreement in their sentences.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the documents were dispatched

Replaces "sent" with "dispatched", indicating a more formal action of sending.

the paperwork was forwarded

Substitutes "documents" with "paperwork" and "sent" with "forwarded", implying official handling.

the files have been transmitted

Uses "files" instead of "documents" and "transmitted" instead of "sent", suggesting electronic communication.

the records were submitted

Replaces "documents" with "records" and "sent" with "submitted", implying formal presentation.

the data was transferred

Emphasizes the movement of data rather than physical documents.

the dossier was delivered

Specifies a "dossier", implying a collection of documents, and uses "delivered" for sending.

documents were issued

Focuses on the action of issuing the documents, rather than the sending process.

the instruments were directed

A more formal and less common way of expressing that documents were sent.

the briefs were dispatched

Similar to “the documents were dispatched”, however, the documents is briefs.

the report has been filed

Changes the focus to filing a report, implying it has been officially registered or recorded after being sent.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "documents has been sent" for clarity?

To improve clarity, specify who sent the documents. For example, instead of "documents has been sent", try "I have sent the documents" or "The department has sent the documents". Using an active voice can often make the sentence clearer.

Is it better to use active or passive voice when describing sending documents?

It depends on the context. The active voice (e.g., "I sent the documents") is generally clearer and more direct. The passive voice (e.g., "documents has been sent") is appropriate when the sender is unknown, unimportant, or you want to emphasize the documents themselves.

What are some alternatives to "documents has been sent"?

Some alternatives include "the documents were dispatched", "the documents were forwarded", or "the documents were transmitted", depending on the specific context and level of formality.

What's the difference between "documents has been sent" and "documents have been sent"?

"Documents has been sent" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase is "documents have been sent", using the plural form "have" to agree with the plural subject "documents".