had almost invited

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had almost invited" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that an invitation was nearly extended but did not actually occur, often reflecting a sense of hesitation or missed opportunity. Example: "She had almost invited him to the party, but at the last moment, she changed her mind."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Joyce had almost invited this reading.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

I've almost invited her to a movie a bunch of times.

The New Yorker

Esteban Kozak at Search Fox tells me they still have a few left, but they have almost invited the quota.

TechCrunch

The mayor has rarely praised or expressed support for Mr. Levy and has almost never invited him to public appearances.

The New York Times

Its inability to effectively police the industry has almost certainly invited such profit-driven misconduct.

Los Angeles Times

(Locke had almost three thousand).

The New Yorker

(Most unexpectedly, he occasionally has almost boyish bursts of joy, as when he invites his No 2 Chris Partlow to Atlantic City).

The Guardian

But now all its units are officially invited to disband in exchange for a full pardon.Life in Algiers has almost returned to normal.

The Economist

Privatisation has almost stopped.

The Economist

Hovercraft have almost disappeared.

The Economist

You've almost tripled.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had almost invited" to indicate a decision was made to not extend an invitation after some consideration. It implies a near miss rather than a complete oversight.

Common error

Avoid using "had almost invited" interchangeably with phrases like "was going to invite" if there was no real intention or consideration of inviting someone initially. The former suggests a deliberate choice not to invite after some thought.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had almost invited" functions as part of a verb phrase within a sentence, indicating a past action that nearly occurred but did not. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

25%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had almost invited" is a grammatically sound and usable expression indicating that an invitation was nearly extended in the past but ultimately wasn't. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. It's most commonly found in news and media contexts, conveying a sense of near-miss or a deliberate change of plan. When using the phrase, make sure it accurately reflects a genuine intention to invite someone that was later retracted or prevented.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

nearly extended an invitation

Focuses on the act of extending the invitation rather than the invitation itself.

was close to inviting

Emphasizes the proximity to the action of inviting someone.

came close to inviting

Similar to "was close to inviting", highlighting the nearness of the event.

was on the verge of inviting

Implies that the invitation was imminent but did not happen.

was about to invite

Indicates an action that was interrupted or prevented from occurring.

contemplated inviting

Focuses on the thought process before inviting, rather than the action itself.

considered inviting

Indicates a more formal and thoughtful consideration of extending an invitation.

came within an inch of inviting

Emphasizes how close someone came to extending the invitation but eventually didn't.

almost sent an invitation

Focuses on the physical act of sending an invitation.

had it in mind to invite

Focuses on intention rather than action.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "had almost invited"?

You could use alternatives like "nearly extended an invitation", "was close to inviting", or "contemplated inviting" depending on the specific context.

Is "had almost invited" grammatically correct?

Yes, "had almost invited" is grammatically correct. It uses the past perfect tense correctly to indicate an action that was close to happening but didn't.

What does "had almost invited" imply?

The phrase "had almost invited" implies that there was some consideration or intention to invite someone, but ultimately the invitation was not extended. It suggests a decision or circumstance prevented the invitation from happening.

When is it appropriate to use "had almost invited"?

It's appropriate to use "had almost invited" when you want to convey that you were on the verge of inviting someone but changed your mind or were prevented from doing so. It suggests a sense of near-miss or a deliberate choice.