had been damaged

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been damaged" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is a past perfect tense, indicating an action that was completed in the past before another past action. Example: The car had been damaged in the hailstorm, so we had to take it to the repair shop.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

An organ had been damaged.

The New Yorker

Not one piece had been damaged.

The Guardian

About 70 feet had been damaged.

The New York Times

Thirty hydroelectric plants had been damaged or destroyed.

Yale University

She was concerned that her car had been damaged.

The Guardian

As of Sunday afternoon, no structures had been damaged.

The New York Times

And the post had been damaged and evacuated.

The New York Times

Perhaps Karius's confidence had been damaged by the earlier mistake.

The Guardian - Sport

It was unclear whether any Iranian targets had been damaged.

The New York Times

He said one navy aircraft had been damaged.

The New York Times

All its dozen or so homes had been damaged.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a sequence of past events, use "had been damaged" to clearly indicate that the damage occurred before another event you're describing. This helps establish a clear timeline for your reader.

Common error

Avoid incorrectly using "was damaged" when you need to emphasize that the damage happened before another past event. "Had been damaged" clarifies the sequence of events more effectively.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been damaged" functions as a passive perfect construction. It indicates that something experienced damage at a point in the past, prior to another specified time, as illustrated in Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

78%

Academia

8%

Wiki

7%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

1%

Formal & Business

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been damaged" is a grammatically correct and very common past perfect construction used to describe something that experienced damage before another point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical soundness. It is frequently found in news and media, academic, and scientific contexts. When writing, it's crucial to use "had been damaged" to clearly indicate the sequence of past events. For similar expressions, consider using "sustained damage" or "was harmed" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was damaged

This alternative uses a simpler past tense, lacking the past perfect's emphasis on completion before another past action.

sustained damage

Focuses on the act of receiving damage, rather than the state of being damaged.

was harmed

Emphasizes the negative impact or injury caused.

suffered damage

Highlights the experience of undergoing damage.

incurred damage

Suggests the damage was a result of a specific action or event.

was impaired

Focuses on the functional reduction or weakening caused by the damage.

was marred

Implies that the damage has affected the appearance or perfection.

was defaced

Specifically refers to damage that spoils the surface or appearance.

was vandalized

Indicates the damage was intentional and malicious.

was ruined

Suggests that the damage is so severe as to render something unusable or worthless.

FAQs

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

Use "had been damaged" to describe a state resulting from a damaging action completed before another point in the past. For instance, "The building "had been damaged" by the earthquake, so it was unsafe to enter".

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

"Was damaged" describes a single event in the past, while "had been damaged" indicates that the damage occurred before another event in the past. The latter establishes a clear sequence of events. For instance, "The car "was damaged" in the accident" vs "The car "had been damaged", so we couldn't drive it".

What are some alternatives to "had been damaged"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "sustained damage", "was harmed", or "suffered damage".

Is it correct to say "had been damage" instead of "had been damaged"?

No, "had been damage" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase is ""had been damaged"", where "damaged" is the past participle of the verb "damage".