had been destroyed

USAGE SUMMARY

'had been destroyed' is a correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it to describe an event or situation that occurred and was completed in the past, before another event or situation happened. Example: The building had been destroyed during the storm, but the nearby trees remained untouched.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Berlin had been destroyed.

The New Yorker

Some had been destroyed.

The Guardian

Some of those places had been destroyed.

The New York Times

Downstream, Forge Bridge had been destroyed.

The New York Times

"Every single room had been destroyed.

The New York Times

The Pentagon had been destroyed.

The New York Times

Our credit had been destroyed".

The New York Times

Nearly everything had been destroyed.

The New York Times

Palestinians said eight homes had been destroyed.

The New York Times

Two hundred homes had been destroyed.

The New Yorker

It had been destroyed in the flood.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been destroyed" to clearly indicate that the destruction occurred before another event in the past. This helps establish a clear sequence of events for the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "was destroyed" when you need to emphasize that the destruction happened before a specific point in the past. "Was destroyed" simply indicates past passive, without establishing a clear temporal relationship.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been destroyed" functions as the past perfect passive form of the verb "destroy". It indicates that an action of destruction was completed at some point in the past before another event also in the past.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Encyclopedias

10%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had been destroyed" is a versatile grammatical tool used to describe events completed in the past before another point in time, as verified by Ludwig AI. As an example, you can say "The city had been destroyed before the war ended". It is commonly used in news, encyclopedias and scientific writing. While grammatically sound, it's important to consider the context. Using "was destroyed" might be more appropriate if there's no need to emphasize the sequence of past events. Common synonyms are "was demolished", "was obliterated", and "was ruined". Therefore, effective communication involves understanding its purpose and choosing the most appropriate alternative for each specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was destroyed

Focuses on the action of destruction in the past, rather than the completed state before another past event.

was obliterated

Suggests complete and utter destruction, leaving no trace.

had been razed

Implies the complete leveling of a structure or area to the ground.

was demolished

Implies deliberate destruction, often of a building or structure.

had been annihilated

Implies complete destruction, often of a population or group.

was ruined

Indicates severe damage that makes something unusable or worthless.

had been decimated

Indicates a significant reduction in number or extent, often due to destruction.

was devastated

Emphasizes the emotional impact of the destruction, often on people or communities.

had been shattered

Suggests the destruction of something fragile or easily broken.

was wrecked

Suggests violent or forceful destruction, often in an accident.

FAQs

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

"Had been destroyed" indicates that something was destroyed at a time before something else happened in the past. For example, "The evidence "had been destroyed" before the police arrived".

What are some alternatives to "had been destroyed"?

You can use alternatives like "was demolished", "was obliterated", or "was ruined" depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "was destroyed" instead of "had been destroyed"?

While "was destroyed" is grammatically correct, it doesn't necessarily establish a sequence of events in the past. Use "had been destroyed" when you want to emphasize that the destruction happened before another past event.

What's the difference between "had been destroyed" and "has been destroyed"?

"Had been destroyed" refers to a past event completed before another event in the past, whereas "has been destroyed" connects a past event to the present.