had been buys

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been buys" is not correct in written English.
It seems to be a grammatical error, possibly intended to convey a past action involving purchases or transactions. Example: "They had been buying supplies for the project before the deadline."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

And 70% of the trades had been buys.

The Guardian - Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

after it had been bought.

The New Yorker

Meanwhile, Carl Lindner had been buying Taft shares.

The New York Times - Magazine

"eBay confirmed that it had been bought.

The Guardian - Money

Houses had been bought and lost.

The New York Times

He had been buying guns since 1982.

The New York Times

The drugs had been bought by Americans.

The New York Times

Everyone knew that the honour had been bought.

Independent

His play "Caligula" had been bought for N.Y.

The New Yorker

I had been buying $4 toasters from Caldor.

The New York Times - Sports

Monroe had been buying gas marked for interstate shipment.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "had been buys" in formal writing. Instead, use grammatically correct alternatives such as "had been purchasing" or "had bought" to ensure clarity and accuracy.

Common error

Be mindful of combining past perfect continuous tense with incorrect noun forms. Ensure that the verb tense aligns with the noun used to describe the action, favoring options like "had been purchasing" over the ungrammatical "had been buys".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been buys" is grammatically incorrect and does not function as a standard English phrase. As Ludwig AI confirms, it appears to be a grammatical error, possibly intended to convey a past action involving purchases or transactions.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been buys" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. Ludwig AI indicates that it's a grammatical error, likely intended to describe past purchasing actions. Instead, use grammatically sound alternatives like "had been purchasing" or "had bought" to ensure clarity and accuracy. The phrase is rare, with limited correct usage examples. While it appears in news media, its incorrect form makes it unsuitable for professional or academic contexts. Always prioritize grammatical correctness to effectively convey your intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been purchasing

This alternative uses the continuous form of "purchase", implying an ongoing action in the past.

had been acquiring

This alternative uses "acquiring", suggesting a gradual accumulation of items in the past.

had bought

This alternative uses the past perfect tense, indicating a completed action of buying in the past.

had made purchases

This alternative uses a more formal phrasing, emphasizing the act of making purchases.

had completed acquisitions

This alternative is more business-oriented, referring to finished acquisitions.

had finalized the purchases

This alternative emphasizes the finalization of buying actions.

had secured buys

This alternative suggests successfully obtaining purchases, adding a sense of achievement.

had arranged acquisitions

This alternative implies planning and organizing the acquisitions in the past.

had transacted buys

This alternative focuses on the transactional aspect of the buying process.

had closed purchases

This alternative highlights the completion or closing of purchase deals.

FAQs

What are some correct alternatives to "had been buys"?

You can use alternatives like "had been purchasing", "had bought", or "had been acquiring" depending on the context.

Is "had been buys" grammatically correct?

No, "had been buys" is grammatically incorrect. It does not follow standard English grammar rules for verb tense and noun usage. It should be revised to a grammatically correct form.

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

You can use "had been purchasing" in a sentence like: "They had been purchasing supplies for the project before the deadline."

What's the difference between "had been buys" and "had bought"?

"Had been buys" is grammatically incorrect. "Had bought" indicates a completed action in the past, while "had been purchasing" suggests an ongoing action in the past.