had been approving

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been approving" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an ongoing action of approval that occurred in the past before another past event. Example: "The committee had been approving the budget proposals for several months before the final decision was made."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Previously, it had been approving one loan for every four applications.

The New York Times

Just before the ceasefire, the UN said that Assad's regime had been approving about 60% of its applications to send help to the worst-affected areas.

The Guardian

But Mr. Nash said he and Mr. McGreevey were concerned that the commissioners had been approving projects without thinking through how each affected the other.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

The appeal had been approved.

The New York Times - Sports

Almost none had been approved.

The New York Times

Oregón had been approved.

The New Yorker

The loan had been approved.

The New York Times

The new meters had been approved.

The New York Times - Tech

By midnight the pardon had been approved.

The New York Times

Within six months, they had been approved.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Even if Krystexxa had been approved, it had competition.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been approving" to describe a continuous or repeated action of approval that occurred in the past before another past event. This helps establish a clear sequence of events in your narrative.

Common error

Avoid using "had been approving" when a simple past tense ("approved") or past perfect tense ("had approved") would be more appropriate. Use the continuous form only when emphasizing the ongoing nature of the approval process.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been approving" functions as a past perfect continuous verb phrase. It indicates an action of approving that was in progress over a period of time leading up to a specific point in the past. As evidenced by Ludwig, this form emphasizes the duration and ongoing nature of the approval process.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been approving" is a past perfect continuous verb phrase used to describe an ongoing action of approving that occurred before a specific point in the past. According to Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically correct and functions to emphasize the duration and repetitive nature of the approval process. While generally neutral in tone, it is most frequently found in news and media contexts and can be effectively replaced with alternatives like "had been authorizing" or "had been endorsing" depending on the nuance you intend to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been in the process of approving

Emphasizes the ongoing nature of the approval process.

had been authorizing

Replaces "approving" with a more formal synonym suggesting official permission.

had been endorsing

Focuses on publicly supporting or recommending something over a period.

had been sanctioning

Implies a formal or legal approval that was ongoing.

had been validating

Suggests confirming the accuracy or legitimacy of something consistently.

had been ratifying

Emphasizes formal consent, particularly in legal or organizational contexts, during a duration in the past.

had been giving the go-ahead

An informal way of saying that permission was being granted repeatedly.

had been signing off on

Implies an ongoing formal agreement or authorization process.

had been giving consent to

Highlights the act of granting permission or agreement over a period.

had been giving the green light

Similar to "giving the go-ahead" but slightly more figurative.

FAQs

How can I use "had been approving" in a sentence?

Use "had been approving" to describe a continuous action of granting permission or acceptance that took place over a period of time in the past, before another event also in the past. For example, "The committee "had been approving" the budget proposals before the final decision was made".

What's the difference between "had been approving" and "had approved"?

"Had been approving" emphasizes the continuous nature of the approval process in the past, while "had approved" simply states that the approval was completed at some point in the past. The former highlights the duration, while the latter focuses on the completion of the action.

Are there formal alternatives to "had been approving"?

Yes, more formal alternatives include phrases like "had been authorizing", "had been sanctioning", or "had been validating", depending on the specific context.

In what situations is "had been approving" most appropriate?

This phrase works best when you want to emphasize that an approval process was ongoing or repetitive before a specific point in the past. It is frequently encountered in contexts of formal authorizations such as project approvals, loan applications, or policy implementations.