had already lapsed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'had already lapsed' is correct and usable in written English.
It is used to imply that something has passed, expired, or become void before a certain point in time. For example: "The warranty on the car had already lapsed, so the repair wasn't covered."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

But until now Joi has been known only for making two albums that didn't stick; they smacked of cross-bred soul-rock subgenres that had already lapsed.

The New York Times - Arts

By then Jackson had already lapsed deep into eccentricity, what with owning Bubbles the chimp, making moves to acquire the Elephant Man's bones and becoming the worst plastic surgery victim in human history.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

By then, Folk has already lapsed into his ritual, what he called his "go time".

The New York Times - Sports

The tax break for commuters who take mass transit has already lapsed.

The Washington Post

Those crimes are subject to a five-year statute of limitations, which has already lapsed for both the car and most of the tuition payments.

The New York Times

With time having already lapsed in the first half the Springboks allowed a turnover, which led to Messam crossing in the left-hand corner and New Zealand reached half-time holding a 21-15 lead.

The Guardian - Sport

But the leader of the Senate's Republican majority, Joseph L. Bruno, has repeatedly said that before dealing with the rent laws, lawmakers must first focus on more pressing matters, like Gov. George E. Pataki's recent budget proposal and other laws that have already lapsed.

The New York Times

Journalists find it difficult to think of a legitimate reason that anyone who had not already lapsed into the dubious career of politics would give up respectable work (or a life of leisure) for a job that requires being polite to strangers, compromising with idiots and reading your every unguarded remark in tabloid headlines.

The New York Times

After Mr. Reagan's Alzheimer's became known, questions were raised as to whether he had already started to have memory lapses when he was president, especially in the Iran-contra affair.

The New York Times

Administration officials said they were troubled by the findings and had already undertaken to correct the security lapses.

The New York Times

The response, delivered by an outside lawyer for the association, said that many of the charges in the 64-page report, including security lapses and graft, had already been addressed, and that the report failed to acknowledge strides the association has made in policing itself.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had already lapsed" when emphasizing that something's validity or effect ended before a specific event or time in the past. This highlights the sequence of events.

Common error

Avoid using "has already lapsed" when referring to a past event. "Had already lapsed" is the correct past perfect tense to show that the lapsing occurred before another point in the past.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had already lapsed" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect tense. Ludwig indicates the phrase is grammatically correct, demonstrating its role in establishing a sequence of past events where the lapsing occurred prior to another action or time.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had already lapsed" is a grammatically sound verb phrase used to denote that something has expired or become invalid before a certain point in the past. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is correct, although relatively rare in usage. The phrase is most commonly found in "News & Media" and scientific contexts. When using this phrase, ensure you are referring to a past event and want to emphasize that the lapsing occurred prior to another event in the past. Remember that while similar phrases like "had already expired" exist, "had already lapsed" is most effective when highlighting the sequence of events.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had already expired

Direct synonym focusing on the expiration.

had previously expired

Emphasizes the prior expiration of something.

had previously passed

Focuses on the passing of a deadline or event.

had already become invalid

Highlights the invalidity of something.

had already run out

Implies the depletion of a resource or time.

had already ceased to be in effect

A more formal way of saying something is no longer valid.

had previously terminated

Focuses on the formal termination of an agreement or right.

had already finished

Focuses on the completion of a task or period.

had already discontinued

Focuses on the discontinuation of a process or product.

had previously become void

Emphasizes the nullification of something.

FAQs

How is "had already lapsed" used in a sentence?

Use "had already lapsed" to indicate that something expired or became invalid before a specific point in the past. For instance, "By the time they arrived, the offer "had already lapsed"."

What are some alternatives to "had already lapsed"?

Alternatives include "had previously expired", "had already expired", or "had already become invalid", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "has already lapsed" instead of "had already lapsed"?

While "has already lapsed" is grammatically correct in the present perfect tense, it doesn't convey the same meaning as "had already lapsed", which refers to something that happened before another point in the past. Use "has" for current relevance, "had" for past relevance.

What's the difference between "had lapsed" and "had already lapsed"?

"Had lapsed" simply indicates that something expired at some point in the past. "Had already lapsed" emphasizes that it expired before a specific time or event being discussed, adding a sense of sequence.