had been communications

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been communications" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to describe a past state of communication but lacks clarity and proper grammatical structure. Example: "There had been communications between the two parties regarding the contract."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

He had been communications manager for the consumer business organization at Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, Calif.

The New York Times

He had been communications manager for the consumer business organization of Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, Calif.

The New York Times

Ms. Johnson had been communications director at the Los Angeles office of Saatchi & Saatchi, part of the Publicis Groupe.

The New York Times

Mr. Tin Maung Thann said the main cause of tension between Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi and the president had been communications.

The New York Times

He terminated the employment of Anthony Scaramucci, the former hedge fund manager who had been communications director for the White House for just 10 days.

Vice

In fact, last month a deputy Russian foreign minister said that there had been communications between Russia's government and people in Trump's orbit, though he didn't say who those people were or what they talked about.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

"We know there has been communications with clubs.

BBC

"Just stop answering his e-mails," advised Anita Dunn, a consultant who had been the communications director for President Obama.

The New York Times

Patrick Di Chiro, 45, is president and chief executive; he had been chief communications officer at the E*Trade Group in Menlo Park, Calif.

The New York Times

Lewisham East MP Heidi Alexander, whose constituency covers Blackheath, said she was unhappy with the way the MoD had been handling communications on the issue.

BBC

Blücher and Wellington had been exchanging communications since 10 00 and had agreed to this advance on Frichermont if Wellington's centre was under attack.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use more grammatically sound alternatives such as "there had been communication" or "communications took place" to ensure clarity and correctness in formal writing.

Common error

Avoid using "communications" directly after "had been" as it creates a grammatically awkward construction. Instead, rephrase to include a subject or use a singular form like "communication."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been communications" attempts to denote a past perfect state related to communication events. However, the construction is grammatically flawed. Ludwig AI identifies it as incorrect in standard written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Wiki

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been communications" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests that it's better to use alternatives like "there had been communication" or "communications took place" to ensure clarity and accuracy. While the phrase appears in some news and media contexts, it's best to avoid it in formal writing. Always strive for grammatically sound expressions to convey your message effectively.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

there had been communication

Corrects the phrase to use singular "communication" which focuses on the general idea of communication rather than individual instances.

there were communications

Changes the tense to simple past and adds "there were" for grammatical correctness.

communication had occurred

Expresses the same idea with a different subject-verb order for emphasis.

communications occurred

Replaces the passive construction with an active voice to improve clarity.

communications took place

Uses a more formal expression to indicate that communications happened.

messages had been exchanged

Specifies the type of communication, focusing on the exchange of messages.

contact had been made

Focuses on the act of making contact rather than the content of the communication.

correspondence had taken place

Uses a more formal term, "correspondence", to refer to communication.

exchanges had happened

Simplifies the phrase to indicate that exchanges of information occurred.

discussions had transpired

Indicates that discussions or conversations took place.

FAQs

What are some correct ways to use "had been" with communication-related words?

You can say "there had been communication", "communication had occurred", or "messages "had been exchanged"" depending on your intended meaning.

Is it ever correct to say "had been communications"?

No, "had been communications" is generally not considered grammatically correct. It's better to rephrase using alternatives like "there had been communication".

What can I say instead of "had been communications" to sound more professional?

Use alternatives such as "correspondence had taken place", "discussions had transpired", or "contact "had been made"" for a more professional tone.

What is the difference between "had been communication" and "had been communications"?

"Had been communication" (singular) refers to the general act or state of communicating, while "had been communications" (plural) is grammatically incorrect. Use the singular form unless you're referring to specific instances, and even then, rephrasing is preferable.