had already admitted

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had already admitted" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that someone acknowledged or confessed to something prior to a specific point in time in the past. Example: "By the time the investigation began, he had already admitted his involvement in the incident."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

And Delgado, the great fighter, had already admitted as much.

The Guardian - Sport

The Patriots had already admitted wrongdoing and accepted their punishment.

The New York Times - Sports

Another man, Jonathan Bowling, also 22, had already admitted murdering the 68-year-old grandfather.

Independent

A European bidder had already admitted to securing discounts on flashy cars for several politicians.

The Economist

This month, the North Korean government said the man had already "admitted his crime".

The New York Times

News International, the paper's parent, had already admitted phone hacking occurred between 2004 and 2006.

The New York Times

Dickson had already admitted manslaughter but denied murder saying he had not intended to kill her.

Independent

Payne had already admitted running up a £271,000 deficit for the last financial year.

The Guardian

Blanchard, 40, of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, had already admitted being involved in the assault.

The Guardian

Thompson had already admitted burglary of two shops in Croydon - Iceland and House of Fraser - on the same evening.

Independent

Their lawyer, Nery Ramati, soon discovered that Muhammad had already admitted throwing a stone during the girl's funeral.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had already admitted", ensure the timeline is clear by specifying when the admission occurred relative to another past event. This provides context and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using simple past tense when past perfect is required. "He admitted" implies the admission happened at the same time as the main event, whereas "he had already admitted" establishes that the admission happened before the main event.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had already admitted" functions as a past perfect verb phrase, indicating an action (admitting) completed before another point in the past. It establishes a sequence of events, showing that the admission occurred prior to a subsequent action or situation. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is considered grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

98%

Formal & Business

1%

Wiki

1%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had already admitted" is a grammatically correct and very common past perfect phrase used to indicate that someone acknowledged or confessed to something before a specific point in the past. As Ludwig AI underlines, this phrase is suitable for various contexts, with a strong presence in news and media. When using this phrase, ensure clarity in the timeline and avoid simple past tense where past perfect is more appropriate. Alternatives such as "had previously confessed" or "had already acknowledged" can be used to vary your writing while maintaining a similar meaning. The consistent usage and clear grammatical function make it a reliable choice for effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had previously confessed

Replaces 'admitted' with 'confessed', emphasizing a formal acknowledgment of wrongdoing; slightly stronger connotation.

had already acknowledged

Substitutes 'admitted' with 'acknowledged', indicating a recognition of a fact or truth without necessarily implying guilt.

had already conceded

Replaces 'admitted' with 'conceded', suggesting reluctantly acknowledging something, often in an argument or debate.

had already disclosed

Substitutes 'admitted' with 'disclosed', indicating the revealing of previously unknown information.

had previously owned up to

Replaces "had already admitted" with a phrasal verb, implying taking responsibility for something.

had already avowed

Substitutes 'admitted' with 'avowed', suggesting a declaration or assertion, often publicly.

had already professed

Replaces 'admitted' with 'professed', which suggests a claim or declaration, especially when it might be doubted.

had already divulged

Substitutes 'admitted' with 'divulged', suggesting revealing private or sensitive information.

had already affirmed

Replaces 'admitted' with 'affirmed', indicating a formal declaration or confirmation.

had already validated

Substitutes 'admitted' with 'validated', which suggests confirming the accuracy or legitimacy of something.

FAQs

How to use "had already admitted" in a sentence?

Use "had already admitted" to indicate that someone acknowledged or confessed something prior to a specific point in time in the past. For example: "By the time the investigation began, he "had already admitted" his involvement in the incident".

What can I say instead of "had already admitted"?

You can use alternatives like "had previously confessed", "had already acknowledged", or "had already conceded" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "had already admitted" or "already admitted"?

"Had already admitted" is the past perfect tense, used to indicate an action completed before another point in the past. "Already admitted" without "had" can work in some sentences but it misses the indication that something happened even before. If the context requires emphasizing the sequence of past actions, ""had already admitted"" is more precise.

What's the difference between "had already admitted" and "has already admitted"?

"Had already admitted" is past perfect, referring to a past admission before another past event. "Has already admitted" is present perfect, referring to an admission in the past that has relevance to the present. The choice depends on whether the focus is on a past-before-past sequence or a past-to-present connection.