had been added

USAGE SUMMARY

"had been added" is correct and usable in written English.
This is an example of the past perfect tense, which is used to refer to an action that happened before another action in the past. For example, "The new section had been added to the website before the launch date."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

No wood had been added.

The New York Times

Many buildings had been added since she left.

The New York Times

Extra flights had been added for those wishing to leave.

The Guardian

Yet another straw had been added to the last one.

The New York Times

The numbers had been added with red ink.

The New York Times

Another note had been added to the dossier.

The Guardian - Sport

By next morning, tiredness had been added to my hunger.

The Guardian - Travel

Everything made sense then: it showed that damaging, faulty information had been added to her report.

The New York Times

I noticed that howls & rattles had been added to the whistles & drums.

The New Yorker

It was because of the leap second that strobes had been added to the ball.

The New Yorker

B. Carpenter" had been added later, because it clearly had been placed atop the original varnish.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a sequence of events, use "had been added" to clearly indicate that the addition occurred before a subsequent action or state. For example: "The final touches had been added, and the painting was ready for display."

Common error

Avoid using "had been added" when the context only requires a simple past tense. Overusing the past perfect can make your writing sound unnecessarily complex. For example, instead of "The feature had been added yesterday", use "The feature was added yesterday".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been added" functions as a passive construction in the past perfect tense. Ludwig indicates its role in describing an action completed before another event in the past. This usage allows writers to establish a clear sequence of events.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

42%

Science

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been added" is a versatile phrase used to indicate that an action of adding occurred before a specific point in the past. According to Ludwig, it's a grammatically sound construction, commonly found in News & Media, Science and Wiki contexts. Although "had been added" is correct, remember to not overuse it and to consider synonyms like "was included" or "was appended" for a more nuanced meaning. Remember it is crucial to use it in the past perfect tense correctly. By understanding its function and communicative purpose, writers can use "had been added" effectively to convey precise meanings in their writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was appended

Focuses on the act of attaching or affixing something as a supplement, differing slightly from simply adding.

was included

Highlights the act of incorporating something within a larger group or set, changing the focus from the addition itself.

was incorporated

Emphasizes the blending or integration of something into a whole, rather than a mere addition.

was attached

Implies a physical connection or association, varying from the more general sense of adding.

was supplemented

Suggests that something was added to enhance or complete something else, introducing the idea of improvement.

was affixed

Emphasizes firmly attaching something, often physically, which is a narrower meaning than addition.

was tagged

Suggests a label or identifier was added, changing the meaning to one of categorization.

was connected

Focuses on establishing a link or relationship by adding something, shifting the meaning to association.

was joined

Highlights the act of becoming united or linked through addition, specifying a type of combination.

was inserted

Emphasizes placing something within something else, narrowing the context of addition to physical placement.

FAQs

How do I use "had been added" in a sentence?

"Had been added" indicates that an action of adding occurred before another point in the past. For instance, "By the time I arrived, the decorations "had been added"."

What can I say instead of "had been added"?

You can use alternatives such as "was included", "was incorporated", or "was appended" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. For example, instead of "the appendix "had been added"", you might say "the appendix "was appended"".

Is "had been add" grammatically correct?

No, "had been add" is not grammatically correct. The correct form is "had been added", using the past participle of the verb "add".

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

"Was added" describes an action in the past, while ""had been added"" describes an action completed before another point in the past. For instance, "The ingredient was added" versus "The ingredient "had been added" before the mixture was stirred".