had been believing

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence "had been believing" is correct and usable in written English.
It is the past perfect tense of the verb "to believe" and is used to speak about an action that was completed before another action happened in the past. For example, "He had been believing that he would find a job, but he was wrong."

✓ Grammatically correct

Encyclopedias

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

In one sense, therefore, what Chalcedon formulated was what Christians had been believing from the beginning, but, in another sense, it represented a development from the earlier stages of Christian thought.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Ms. Rice said Iraq's public works were in far worse shape than had been believed.

The New York Times

City officials said the Prospect Place building had been believed to be sound.

The New York Times

(Yes, people thought they knew this but it's an even stronger difference than had been believed).

The Economist

The approximately 4,500 negatives by Robert Capa, David Seymour (Chim), and Gerda Taro had been believed lost until they resurfaced in late 2007.

Encyclopedia Britannica

For about 30 years after this report, it had been believed that gastrinomas arose mostly in the pancreas, and sometimes blind pancreatic resections were performed in vain [10 13].

Surgical Case Reports

Megathrust earthquakes had been believed to occur commonly in a so-called Chilean-type subduction zone (e.g., Kanamori, 1977; Uyeda, 1982; Lay et al., 1982).

Earth, Planets and Space

Even Gollum couldn't believe that he had been believed.

Huffington Post

The dynamic expression patterns between miRNAs and mRNAs are more complex than had been believed.

BioMed Research International

Since then, it had been believed that p53 does not play a role during development.

Cell and Bioscience

OMP had been believed to be a highly conserved single-copy intronless gene among all vertebrates [ 24, 27, 34, 35].

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been believing" to emphasize the duration of a belief leading up to a specific point in the past. This helps to show the context and evolution of understanding.

Common error

While grammatically correct, "had been believing" can sometimes sound verbose. Consider whether a simpler past tense, such as "believed", would suffice, especially when duration isn't crucial to the meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been believing" functions as a past perfect progressive verb phrase. According to Ludwig AI, it is used to describe an action or state of believing that was ongoing over a period of time leading up to a specific point in the past. This is supported by the example provided by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Encyclopedias

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been believing" is a grammatically sound past perfect progressive construction used to describe a belief held continuously up to a specific point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. While not highly frequent, it appears in reputable sources like Encyclopedia Britannica, The New York Times and Science journals. Its usage is neutral, fitting for various contexts, but users should ensure that the continuous aspect of the belief is relevant to the meaning. Alternatives such as "had previously believed" or "had once assumed" can be used depending on the specific nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had previously believed

Emphasizes the prior state of belief before a change or new information.

had formerly thought

Highlights a past thought or opinion that is no longer held.

had once assumed

Focuses on a previous assumption that may have been incorrect.

had operated under the assumption

Focuses on the belief as the basis for action or decision-making.

had maintained the belief

Indicates a sustained or persistent belief over a period.

had held the conviction

Emphasizes a strong and firm belief.

had proceeded with the understanding

Indicates a belief that guided a particular course of action.

had entertained the notion

Suggests that the belief was considered or contemplated but not necessarily fully accepted.

had always considered

Highlights a belief that was consistently held over time.

had been under the impression

Suggests a belief that may have been vague or not fully substantiated.

FAQs

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

Use "had been believing" to describe a belief that existed for a period of time before a specific point in the past. For example, "She "had been believing" his lies until she found the evidence."

What's the difference between "had been believing" and "believed"?

"Believed" indicates a simple past belief, while "had been believing" emphasizes the duration of the belief leading up to a specific point in the past. For example, if you say "She believed him", it simply means she held that belief at some point. "She "had been believing" him" implies that she held that belief for some time before discovering the truth.

When should I use "had been believing" instead of "had believed"?

Use "had been believing" when you want to emphasize the continuous nature of the belief over a period in the past before another event. "Had believed" suggests a completed action of believing, while ""had been believing"" emphasizes the duration of the belief.

What are some alternative ways to express the same idea as "had been believing"?

Alternatives include "had previously believed", "had formerly thought", or "had once assumed", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.