had attempted

USAGE SUMMARY

"had attempted" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is the past perfect tense of the verb "attempt," meaning that the attempted action happened before some other past action or time. Example: "She had attempted to climb Mount Everest three times before finally reaching the summit on her fourth try."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I had attempted to be the type.

The New Yorker

Mr. Lambert said Wood had attempted suicide.

The New York Times

Wallace had attempted suicide and survived.

The New Yorker

(He had attempted suicide the day before).

The New York Times - Magazine

Nobody had attempted this feat before.

The New Yorker

Results: Twenty-four consecutive patients had attempted delayed-interval delivery.

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Six other victims said they had attempted suicide.

The New York Times

The newspaper said both women had attempted suicide.

The New York Times

Six other witnesses said they had attempted suicide.

The New York Times

She had attempted to be someone she didn't really understand.

The New York Times - Books

He had attempted suicide and spent a month in isolation.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had attempted" when you want to emphasize that the attempt occurred before another event in the past. For example: "She had attempted to climb the mountain several times before she finally succeeded."

Common error

Avoid using "had attempted" when referring to a current or future action. Use the correct tense, such as "attempts" or "will attempt", instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had attempted" functions as a past perfect verb phrase. It indicates an action (attempting) that was completed before another action or point in time in the past. Ludwig provides numerous examples demonstrating its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Science

32%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Wiki

8%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had attempted" is a grammatically correct and commonly used past perfect verb phrase. It indicates an action that was tried before another action in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, its usage is valid across diverse contexts, spanning news, science, and academia. While suitable for various writing styles, it is essential to use the correct tense to avoid errors. Related phrases, such as "tried" or "endeavored", offer alternative ways to express similar meanings. Remember that using "had attempted" correctly enhances the clarity and precision of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had tried

More emphatic than 'tried', showing similarity in structure and past timeframe

tried

A more concise and informal alternative.

made an attempt

Expresses the action of trying in a slightly more descriptive way.

had made an effort

Highlights the exertion of effort in the past.

sought to

A more formal and sophisticated way of saying 'tried'.

endeavored

A formal synonym for 'attempted', often used in professional or academic contexts.

undertook

Suggests starting a significant task or project.

had undertaken

Focuses on the initiation of a task or project prior to another event.

given a shot

Implies a less serious, more experimental approach.

taken steps

Implies a series of actions with an intended goal.

FAQs

How to use "had attempted" in a sentence?

Use "had attempted" to describe an action someone tried to do before something else happened. For example, "He "had attempted" to fix the car before calling a mechanic."

What can I say instead of "had attempted"?

You can use alternatives like "tried", "made an attempt", or "endeavored" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "had attempted" or "attempted"?

"Had attempted" is used in the past perfect tense to show that the attempt happened before another past event. "Attempted" is simple past tense and describes a completed action in the past. For example, "She "had attempted" the climb many times before, but this time she succeeded", versus "She "attempted" the climb yesterday".

What's the difference between "had attempted" and "was attempting"?

"Had attempted" indicates a completed attempt before another point in the past, while "was attempting" describes an ongoing action in the past. For example, "He "had attempted" to call her before she left," vs "He "was attempting" to call her when the power went out".