had been declines

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been declines" is not correct in English.
It seems to be a mix-up of verb forms and should be revised for clarity and grammatical accuracy. Example: "The number of applicants had been declining over the past few years."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The association's president, James C. May, said that there had been declines in passenger traffic, but they had been small.

The New York Times - Travel

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Sales had been declining since 1983.

The New York Times

Sales had been declining for several years.

The New York Times

Per capita income had been declining.

The New York Times

Offers of British help had been declined.

The Guardian

Green tech investing had been declining even before Solyndra.

The New York Times

"The number of names had been declining gradually".

The New York Times

My father, eighty-three, had been declining for several weeks.

The New Yorker

He said that Ewing's skills had been declining.

The New York Times - Sports

Sales, which, of course, had been declining.

TechCrunch

His asylum had been declined.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "had been declines". The grammatically correct phrasing for expressing a past continuous decline is "had been declining" or "had decreased".

Common error

Ensure you use the correct verb form when describing a decline. The present perfect continuous tense requires the -ing form of the verb (declining), not the noun form (declines).

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been declines" functions as an incorrect attempt to describe a past continuous action. Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically flawed. Correct usage involves using the present participle "declining" instead of the noun "declines".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been declines" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form to express a continuous decline in the past perfect tense is "had been declining". Ludwig AI flagged this issue, highlighting the need for the correct verb form. While the intent is clear—to describe a past decrease—the phrasing should be avoided in formal writing and speech. Consider using alternatives such as "had been decreasing" or "had fallen" for clarity and grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been declining

This is the grammatically correct form of expressing a continuous decline in the past.

had decreased

This phrase is a simple and direct way to state that something has reduced in quantity or intensity.

had fallen

Indicates a drop or decrease, often used for numbers, amounts, or levels.

had dropped

Similar to 'fallen', but can also imply a sudden decrease.

had diminished

Suggests a gradual reduction, often implying a loss in importance or quality.

had lessened

Similar to 'diminished', but often used for abstract concepts like pain or pressure.

had shrunk

Indicates a reduction in size or amount.

had waned

Suggests a decline in power, influence, or popularity.

had regressed

Implies a return to a former or less developed state.

had deteriorated

Suggests a worsening condition or quality over time.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "had been declines"?

The correct phrasing is "had been declining", which uses the present participle of the verb "decline" to indicate a continuous action in the past.

Is "had been declines" grammatically correct?

No, "had been declines" is not grammatically correct. The correct phrasing uses the verb in its -ing form, such as "had been decreasing" or "had been falling".

What are some alternatives to "had been declines"?

You can use phrases like "had decreased", "had fallen", or "had diminished" instead of "had been declines".

When should I use "had been declining"?

Use "had been declining" to indicate that something was continuously decreasing over a period of time in the past. For example, "Sales had been declining for several years before the new marketing strategy was implemented".