had been collapsed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been collapsed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a state or condition that existed in the past, indicating that something was in a collapsed state before a certain point in time. Example: "The building had been collapsed for several years before the city decided to demolish the remaining structure."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Her right lung had been collapsed in a desperate effort to save her when a new lesion appeared on her left lung.

The New York Times

Sears, who did not explain what his problem had been, collapsed in the Rod Laver Arena on Saturday evening at the same time as Murray was winning in the Margaret Court Arena.

Independent

Postoperative chest X-ray films demonstrated progressive re-expansion of both lower lobes, which had been collapsed preoperatively.

Surgical Case Reports

Results reflected coded data that had been collapsed into patterns.

BMC Nursing

Assembly 9 (Table 3; Figure 2) was chosen as the reference sequence for primer design because it consisted of only two scaffolds and was the second largest assembly (117 kb), suggesting that no genes had been collapsed or duplicated.

BMC Genomics

If the response categories had been collapsed within this study, it would probably have contributed to an even lower number of misfits, and thus to an improvement of internal scale validity and person response validity.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

The savagery reached its height the following year when Bosnia declared its independence from the country that had been collapsing around it.

The Guardian - Books

In other words, housing had been collapsing for at least two years before the subprime crisis became a household word".

Forbes

While she had been renovating her successful four-floor exhibition space, the global economy had been collapsing, and so no one was clamoring to get inside.

Huffington Post

What infrastructure it once had is collapsed.

The New York Times

"Cartoons have been collapsed into painting".

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been collapsed" to describe a state that existed in the past, emphasizing a prior condition of being reduced or fallen apart. For instance, "The structure had been collapsed for years before the renovation began."

Common error

Avoid using "had been collapsed" when referring to a current state. Ensure the action of collapsing occurred before a specific point in the past, not continuing into the present. Use the correct tense such as "has collapsed" for present perfect or "is collapsed" for simple present, depending on the context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been collapsed" functions as a past perfect passive construction, indicating that something was in a collapsed state before a specific point in the past. This is supported by Ludwig's examples, which illustrate various contexts where this construction is used to describe prior states of being.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been collapsed" is a grammatically correct past perfect passive construction used to describe a prior state of being. Ludwig AI confirms its validity, noting its prevalence in scientific and news contexts. While not exceedingly common, its usage is clear: setting a scene or providing background on a past condition. When using this phrase, ensure the collapsing action occurred before a defined point in the past.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been destroyed

Focuses on the action of destroying something, often implying a more forceful or complete obliteration.

had been ruined

Emphasizes the damage or spoilage of something, making it unusable or undesirable.

had been flattened

Highlights the act of making something level or even, often by crushing it.

had been compressed

Indicates the process of squeezing something into a smaller space, losing its original form.

had been dismantled

Implies the act of taking something apart piece by piece.

had been broken down

Suggests a process of decay or disintegration, either physically or metaphorically.

had been disintegrated

Focuses on a complete breakdown into smaller parts or components.

had been reduced

Implies a decrease in size, amount, or intensity.

had been diminished

Emphasizes a reduction in importance, value, or quality.

had been shrunk

Highlights a decrease in physical size.

FAQs

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

The phrase "had been collapsed" is used to indicate that something was in a collapsed state before a certain point in the past. For example, "The old bridge "had been collapsed" for years before they decided to rebuild it".

What are some alternatives to "had been collapsed"?

Alternatives include "had been destroyed", "had fallen down", or "had caved in", depending on the specific context and the nature of the collapse.

Is it correct to say "the building had been collapsed"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. It indicates that the building was in a state of collapse at some point in the past, relative to another past event or time. The passive voice construction implies an action that affected the building's state.

What's the difference between "had been collapsed" and "has collapsed"?

"Had been collapsed" indicates a state of collapse prior to a past event, while "has collapsed" indicates that the collapse occurred at some point in the past and is relevant to the present. For example: "The roof "had been collapsed" for weeks before the storm" versus "The roof "has collapsed" due to the storm".