had been adapted

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been adapted" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate that something was modified or changed in the past and that this adaptation occurred before another past event. Example: "The novel had been adapted into a successful film, which attracted a new audience."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

These habits had been adapted from the life-style of Christian monks.

Britannica

A third Albee play, "All Over," which had been adapted for television, is in this collection.

The New York Times

The resulting piece doesn't feel as if it had been adapted from a book.

The New York Times

This had been adapted from the film Les Enfants du Paradise (1945), in which Barrault starred.

The Guardian

Some areas were broken or worn away; others had been adapted for local church use.

The New York Times

The Thomist medieval universal harmony had been adapted to the nation-state.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The script - then called Lost Lady - had been adapted from Ethel Lina White's novel The Wheel Spins.

The Guardian - Film

Washington worshipped after his Inauguration, of a prayer that had been adapted from one of Washington's letters.

The New Yorker

The new-look magazine had been adapted to reflect the WI as a "more modern, progressive organisation", Maidment said.

The Guardian

Lem didn't like the way his novel had been adapted; Tarkovsky himself considered it a less than successful film.

The Guardian - Film

The tape captured Ms. Rivers appearing with June Havoc, whose memoir had been adapted as "Marathon 33".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had been adapted", ensure the context clearly indicates what was changed and the original state before the adaptation. This helps maintain clarity and prevents ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "had been adapted" when a simple past tense ("was adapted") is sufficient. Use "had been adapted" only when referring to an action completed before another point in the past.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been adapted" functions as the past perfect passive voice of the verb "adapt". Ludwig provides numerous examples where it describes an action of modification or change that occurred before another point in time. It's important to use this tense to establish a clear sequence of events in the past.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

32%

News & Media

41%

Encyclopedias

7%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Academia

2%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been adapted" is a grammatically correct and frequently used construction, as confirmed by Ludwig. It functions as the past perfect passive voice, indicating that a modification occurred before another point in the past. Ludwig's analysis reveals that it is most commonly found in news, science, and encyclopedic contexts. When using this phrase, ensure that the context clarifies the nature of the change and its relevance to the subsequent events being described.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been modified

Replaces "adapted" with "modified", implying a change or alteration to something.

had been adjusted

Substitutes "adapted" with "adjusted", suggesting a change made to achieve a better fit or result.

had been altered

Uses "altered" instead of "adapted", indicating a change in character or composition.

had been converted

Replaces "adapted" with "converted", implying a transformation into a different form or function.

had been transformed

Substitutes "adapted" with "transformed", suggesting a thorough or dramatic change.

had been revised

Uses "revised" instead of "adapted", indicating improvements or corrections made to something.

had been tailored

Replaces "adapted" with "tailored", implying a change made to meet specific requirements.

had been customized

Substitutes "adapted" with "customized", suggesting changes made to personalize something.

had been reformed

Uses "reformed" instead of "adapted", indicating a change made to improve structure or function.

had been amended

Replaces "adapted" with "amended", implying a formal change or addition.

FAQs

How is "had been adapted" used in a sentence?

The phrase "had been adapted" indicates that something was modified before another action in the past. For example, "The book "had been adapted" into a film before I read it."

What are some alternatives to "had been adapted"?

Alternatives include "had been modified", "had been altered", or "had been revised", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

What's the difference between "was adapted" and "had been adapted"?

"Was adapted" refers to a single event in the past, while "had been adapted" indicates an action completed before another past event. For example, "The play was adapted for television last year," versus "The play "had been adapted" for television before it was performed on Broadway."

Is it correct to say "had been adapt" instead of "had been adapted"?

No, "had been adapt" is grammatically incorrect. The correct passive past perfect form requires the past participle "adapted". Therefore, the correct phrase is ""had been adapted"".