had already talked

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had already talked" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that a conversation took place before a certain point in time or another event. Example: "By the time the meeting started, they had already talked about the main issues."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

47 human-written examples

Maxim had already talked seriously about marriage.

The New Yorker

His players had already talked about it.

The New York Times - Sports

"We had already talked to a number of people, and the difference was night and day".

The New York Times

The attendant told us she had already talked to another tenant from our building.

The New York Times

He tricked them into talking by persuading them that their associates had already talked.

The New York Times

We had already talked of starting a family two or three years from now.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

10 human-written examples

I've already talked about nuclear weapons.

The New Yorker

We have already talked about [the commitment].

The Guardian - Sport

"Rex and I have already talked about it.

The New York Times - Sports

"I've already talked to her doctors about it".

Independent

Coach Herman Edwards has already talked to Moss about staying calm.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had already talked" to clearly establish that a conversation occurred before another event or point in time, providing context for subsequent actions or decisions.

Common error

Avoid using "has already talked" when you need to indicate that the conversation happened before a specific point in the past. "Had already talked" correctly places the conversation in the past perfect tense.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had already talked" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect tense, indicating an action (talking) completed before a specific point in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, this is a correct and usable construction.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

82%

Science

9%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had already talked" is a grammatically sound and very common way to indicate that a conversation occurred before a specific point in the past. It's most frequently found in news and media contexts, serving to provide background or context to a situation. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is used correctly in the provided examples. When writing, ensure the past perfect tense is appropriate and consider more formal alternatives like "had previously discussed" for professional settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had already discussed

More direct synonym, focusing on the act of discussion.

had already spoken about

Replaces "talked" with "spoken", indicating a more formal conversation.

had previously discussed

Emphasizes the discussion happened at an earlier time.

had a prior conversation

Highlights the existence of a previous conversation.

had conferred earlier

Implies a more formal consultation or meeting.

had addressed this before

Suggests the topic was brought up and dealt with earlier.

had communicated beforehand

Focuses on the act of communicating, not necessarily verbally.

had already touched on

Indicates the topic was mentioned briefly in the past.

had exchanged views

Implies a mutual exchange of opinions or information.

had reached a consensus

Suggests the conversation resulted in an agreement.

FAQs

How can I use "had already talked" in a sentence?

Use "had already talked" to indicate that a conversation took place before another event in the past. For example, "By the time I arrived, they "had already talked" about the issue".

What's a more formal alternative to "had already talked"?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "had previously discussed" or "had already spoken about".

Is "had already talked" grammatically correct?

Yes, "had already talked" is grammatically correct. It uses the past perfect tense to show that an action (talking) was completed before another action in the past.

What is the difference between "had already talked" and "have already talked"?

"Had already talked" refers to a past action completed before another point in the past. "Have already talked" refers to an action completed before the present moment. For example, "We "had already talked" about it before the meeting started" vs. "We "have already talked" about it, so we can skip it now".