had been contacted

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been contacted" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate that someone was reached out to in the past, often in a passive construction. Example: "The client had been contacted several times before the meeting was scheduled."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Gangell said police had been contacted.

The Guardian

The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, had been contacted for comment.

The Guardian

He said he had been contacted by the French authorities.

The New York Times

Many researchers I interviewed had been contacted by fake biologists seeking data on rare species.

Yale University

In Rochester and Strood, some 78% of those asked had been contacted by UKIP, while 76% had been contacted by the Tories.

The Economist

The group had been contacted by at least four agents, Mr. McEvoy said.

The New York Times - Arts

Hartigan said neither News Ltd nor Colless had been contacted by Australian police.

The Guardian

She declined to comment on whether the newspaper had been contacted in the investigation.

The New York Times

Officials said names of the other victims would be released after their families had been contacted.

The New York Times

We also asked whether they had been contacted by a political party.

The Washington Post

Weaver said that neither Jane Sanders nor Bernie Sanders had been contacted by law enforcement officials.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been contacted" to emphasize that the contact occurred at a specific point in the past relative to another past event. For example: "By the time the investigation started, all witnesses "had been contacted".

Common error

Avoid using "had been contacted" when simply stating that someone was contacted without specifying a relative past time. Use "was contacted" instead. For example, instead of: "He "had been contacted" yesterday", say: "He was contacted yesterday".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been contacted" functions as a passive perfect construction, indicating that someone received contact prior to a specified time. Ludwig AI confirms that it's used to show that the action of contacting was completed before a certain point in the past.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

78%

Science

12%

Academia

5%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been contacted" is a grammatically sound and frequently used construction. Ludwig AI affirms its correctness and common usage in written English. Predominantly found in News & Media, it serves to indicate that a person received communication before a specific time. For alternative phrasing, consider options like "was reached out to" or "received communication from". When choosing between "was contacted" and "had been contacted", be mindful of the desired timeline and emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was reached out to

Uses a more informal phrasing to convey the action of being contacted.

received communication from

Focuses on the receipt of communication, rather than the act of contacting.

was informed by

Emphasizes that the purpose of the contact was to provide information.

was notified by

Suggests a formal or official method of communication.

was approached by

Highlights the act of someone initiating contact.

was in touch with

Implies an ongoing connection or dialogue, not just a single instance of contact.

was alerted by

Implies that the communication served as a warning or heads-up.

heard from

A simpler and more casual way of saying someone received a message or call.

had a conversation with

Replaces the passive voice construction with an active voice description of an exchange

was interviewed by

Specifies the contact as a formal interview process

FAQs

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

"Had been contacted" indicates that someone was reached out to at some point in the past, usually before another action took place. Example: "The suspect "had been contacted" by police before the warrant was issued."

What's a good substitute for "had been contacted"?

Alternatives include "was reached out to", "received communication from", or simply "was contacted", depending on the desired level of formality and context.

Which is correct, "was contacted" or "had been contacted"?

Both are correct, but they convey different meanings. "Was contacted" indicates a simple past action, while "had been contacted" indicates an action completed before another point in the past. Choose the tense that best reflects the timeline of events.

What's the difference between "had been contacted" and "was contacted"?

"Was contacted" refers to a simple past action, while "had been contacted" indicates that the action of contacting occurred before another point in the past. The latter is used to establish a sequence of events in the past.