had been enjoyed

USAGE SUMMARY

"had been enjoyed" is correct and commonly used in written English.
It is the past perfect tense of the verb "enjoy," meaning that the enjoyment happened before another past action or a specific point in the past. Example: The beautiful sunset had been enjoyed by all of us before the rain started. In this sentence, the enjoyment of the sunset happened before the rain began. "Had been enjoyed" is used to show that the enjoyment occurred in the past before the rain.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

In April 2009 the transitional parliament agreed to adopt Sharīʿah (Islamic law) for use throughout the country, a move viewed by many as an attempt to attract some of the support that had been enjoyed by the ICU/SICC.

Encyclopedia Britannica

On Saturday it is estimated that up to two million people watched the 2014 Tour de France take a much more scenic meander through North Yorkshire, though with more inclement weather than had been enjoyed four decades earlier.

The Guardian - Sport

Increasing attacks by cattle rustlers have disrupted the stability that had been enjoyed by pastoralists in rural communities within the State.

Pastoralism

He said London 2012 events had been enjoyed by around 10 million people across the country, with a month of the festival still to run.

BBC

Improvements to Flash technology, combined with its installed base, enabled it to move up-market and tackle increasingly complex content until the line between animation and video was gone, along with the lead that had been enjoyed by the streaming video incumbents.

Forbes

The lower and middle classes began to take an interest in the arts, which previously had been enjoyed mostly by the clergy and aristocracy.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

Recently, Strummer had been enjoying a fresh surge of creativity.

The Guardian

|  Bloomberg News asked some business leaders what books they had been enjoying recently.

The New York Times

Queensland, like Western Australia, had been enjoying a boom, fuelled by commodities.

The Economist

Usl had been enjoying his job for more than a year now.

The New Yorker

By some measures, Kashmir had been enjoying a season of tranquillity.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had been enjoyed", ensure that the subject experiencing the enjoyment is clearly identified in the sentence to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "had been enjoyed" when a simple past tense ("was enjoyed") would suffice. "Had been enjoyed" is best when emphasizing that the enjoyment preceded another past event.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been enjoyed" functions as a past perfect passive construction. It indicates that an action (enjoying something) was completed before another point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Encyclopedias

17%

Science

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

17%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been enjoyed" is a grammatically sound past perfect passive construction used to indicate that an action of enjoying occurred before another point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. While not extremely frequent, it appears in varied contexts, predominantly in news media, encyclopedias and science. When writing, use "had been enjoyed" to establish a clear sequence of past events, emphasizing prior experience. Remember to make the subject who enjoyed it clear to your audience.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was previously appreciated

Replaces "enjoyed" with "appreciated" and uses "previously" to highlight the past nature of the appreciation.

was formerly relished

Substitutes "enjoyed" with the stronger term "relished" and uses "formerly" to emphasize a prior time.

benefited from in the past

Changes the structure to focus on the benefit received rather than the act of enjoying something.

experienced positive reception

Emphasizes the reception of something being positive rather than the enjoyment itself.

had a favorable reception

Rephrases the enjoyment as a favorable reception.

was once a source of pleasure

Highlights the source of pleasure in the past.

was treasured before

Replaces 'enjoyed' with 'treasured', implying a high degree of appreciation in the past.

was well-received earlier

Focuses on the positive reception something received at an earlier time.

gained satisfaction from previously

Shifts the focus to the satisfaction gained, highlighting personal fulfillment.

used to be delighted by

Directly states the previous delight experienced.

FAQs

How do I use "had been enjoyed" in a sentence?

Use "had been enjoyed" to show that something was enjoyed before another past action. For example, "The peace "had been enjoyed" until the storm arrived" indicates the peace was enjoyed before the storm.

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

"Was enjoyed" describes a simple past action. "Had been enjoyed" indicates an action completed before another point in the past. For example, "The performance "was enjoyed" by all" versus "The performance "had been enjoyed" before the reviews came out".

What can I say instead of "had been enjoyed"?

You can use alternatives like "was previously appreciated" or "was formerly relished" depending on the context.

Is "had been enjoyed by" grammatically correct?

Yes, "had been enjoyed by" is grammatically correct. It's the passive past perfect form, indicating who or what experienced the enjoyment. For example, "The tranquility "had been enjoyed" by the residents".