had been complied

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been complied" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "had complied"? If this is the case, you can use it to indicate that someone or something has met a requirement or followed a directive in the past. Example: "The regulations had been complied with before the deadline."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

It has emerged that the governors did not satisfy themselves about the truth of the reports, confining themselves to judging whether procedures had been complied with.

The Economist

The reforms also ensured that the courts were left with little or no discretion to block extradition once the formalities had been complied with.

The Guardian

The UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, told the Cambodian prime minister, Hun Sen, in a letter that the legal requirements for the tribunal had been complied with.

The Guardian

The cause went back to the circuit court for the purpose of further inquiries as to the fact whether the requisites of the act of congress had been complied with or not by Mr. Wheaton.

Cornell University

Assuming the DPA had been complied with, the school could argue that retention was necessary in a democratic society to ensure attendance of pupils at school or prevent bullying and stigmatisation (protection of the rights and freedoms of others).

The Guardian - Opinion

The department of corrections stressed that the two reviews were the initial reports into the execution and were narrowly cast to look specifically at whether the requirements of the state's death penalty protocol had been complied with.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

He had said earlier he believed he had been complying with the court order.

The New York Times

ICE officials did not say whether Fresh Mark had been complying with the program.

The Washington Post

A department spokeswoman, Dawn McDaniel, said her agency thought Mr. Kolenda had been complying until it received the most recent complaints, from Lux Bond & Green and the Marine Corps League.

The New York Times

Until Edward Snowden came forward, the Silicon Valley giant had been complying with the FISA court orders for years, if not quite in the way that one of Snowden's documents suggested.

The New Yorker

News organisations had been complying with a request from Obama administration officials, who said it might undermine operations and collaboration with Saudi Arabia, the Washington Post reported.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the active voice or rephrase to clarify who complied with what. For example, instead of saying "the rules had been complied with", specify "the company had complied with the rules."

Common error

Avoid using the passive voice in a way that obscures who performed the action. Using the passive voice without specifying the actor can lead to confusion about responsibility and accountability.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been complied" attempts to express that a set of rules or requirements were met at some point in the past. However, it's grammatically flawed. The correct form would typically involve specifying who did the complying, which often requires rephrasing the sentence using the active voice.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Academia

30%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Science

10%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been complied" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. While the intention is to communicate that certain rules or obligations were met in the past, it is best practice to use alternative phrasings such as "had been followed", "had been adhered to", or to rephrase the sentence to use the active voice for clarity. Using the active voice allows you to specify who performed the action of complying, avoiding ambiguity and making your writing more precise.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been followed

Focuses on adherence to instructions or guidelines rather than legalistic compliance.

had been adhered to

Emphasizes a stricter, more committed form of following rules or principles.

had been obeyed

Highlights compliance with commands or authority, rather than general rules.

had been met

Focuses on fulfilling requirements or conditions, offering a less formal tone.

had been fulfilled

Similar to 'had been met', but with a stronger sense of completion and satisfaction.

had been satisfied

Emphasizes the meeting of specific requirements to a point of satisfaction.

had been honored

Highlights the fulfillment of a commitment or promise, suggesting a moral aspect.

had been respected

Focuses on showing deference to rules or boundaries, rather than active compliance.

had been observed

Highlights that the action or custom was followed or noticed.

had been enforced

Indicates that a rule or law was actively applied and obeyed.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say the rules were followed?

Instead of using "had been complied with", which is grammatically questionable, use alternatives such as "had been followed", "had been adhered to", or "had been obeyed" depending on the intended meaning.

Is "had been complied to" grammatically correct?

No, "had been complied to" is not grammatically correct. The correct usage would be to replace it with phrases like "had been followed" or to restructure the sentence for clarity.

How can I avoid using the passive voice when talking about compliance?

To avoid the passive voice, rephrase the sentence to highlight the actor performing the action. For example, instead of "the regulations had been complied with", say "the company "had complied with" the regulations".

What's a more formal way to say something "had been complied with"?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "had been adhered to", "had been satisfied", or "had been fulfilled". These options often convey a stronger sense of commitment and completion.