had been evaluating

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been evaluating" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past before another action occurred. Example: "Before making the final decision, the committee had been evaluating various proposals for several weeks."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

He had been evaluating whether to bring charges for the past two months.

The Guardian

Mr. Gansler did say, however, that the Pentagon had been evaluating "in-house a set of alternatives" to this single-company approach before making yesterday's statement.

The New York Times

Vonn's husband, Thomas, said they had been evaluating the schedule to see how she might best negotiate the training runs while giving herself the most rest.

The New York Times - Sports

After the Nissen article appeared on the journal's Web site on May 21, the F.D.A., which said it had been evaluating the drug's risks, issued a safety alert advising Avandia patients to consult their doctors.

The New York Times

A Sloan-Kettering statement said the hospital had been evaluating the doctor's practice and had singled out another case in which his care "did not meet Memorial Hospital's standards".

The New York Times

Anglo, which bought six million shares in North several weeks ago, said today that it had been evaluating the Australian company as a possible acquisition for some time and circumstances were now right to make a move.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

These films had been evaluated to measure their sexual content.

Huffington Post

All patients had been evaluated by a medical doctor.

Plosone

All SLE patients had been evaluated clinically.

Arthritis Research and Therapy

This procedure was repeated until every subject had been evaluated.

Cough

The reliability and validity of the tools had been evaluated.

BMC Medical Education

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had been evaluating", ensure it clearly indicates an action that was ongoing in the past, leading up to a specific point or event. This helps to establish a clear timeline in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "had been evaluating" when a simpler past tense like "evaluated" would suffice. Overusing the past perfect continuous can make your writing sound unnecessarily complex and less direct.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been evaluating" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect continuous tense. It describes an action of assessing or judging something that was ongoing over a period of time before another action or point in time in the past. Ludwig AI shows examples of it being used in various contexts to indicate this continuous past action.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

53%

Science

38%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been evaluating" serves as a versatile tool to describe prolonged assessment processes in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and well-suited for various contexts, particularly in news, media and science, due to its function as a verb phrase in the past perfect continuous tense. To enhance clarity, it's essential to use "had been evaluating" when the ongoing nature of the evaluation is a critical aspect of the narrative timeline. Alternatives such as "had been assessing" or "had been reviewing" can add nuance, but the key lies in maintaining clarity and emphasizing the ongoing nature of the action in the past.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been assessing

Changes "evaluating" to "assessing", keeping a similar meaning of judging or determining the value of something.

had been reviewing

Replaces "evaluating" with "reviewing", implying a more detailed examination or survey of something.

had been considering

Substitutes "evaluating" with "considering", indicating a focus on thinking carefully about something, often before making a decision.

had been examining

Uses "examining" instead of "evaluating", suggesting a closer and more detailed inspection.

had been analyzing

Replaces "evaluating" with "analyzing", emphasizing a more systematic and detailed examination of something to understand its nature or determine its essential features.

had been investigating

Changes "evaluating" to "investigating", implying a more in-depth inquiry or search to uncover information.

had been appraising

Replaces "evaluating" with "appraising", suggesting a formal assessment of the value or quality of something.

had been judging

Substitutes "evaluating" with "judging", indicating the formation of an opinion or conclusion about something.

had been weighing

Uses "weighing" instead of "evaluating", implying a careful consideration of the pros and cons of something.

had been scrutinizing

Replaces "evaluating" with "scrutinizing", suggesting a very close and critical examination.

FAQs

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

Use "had been evaluating" to describe an action that was in progress over a period of time in the past before another action or point in time. For example, "The committee "had been evaluating" the proposals for weeks before making a final decision."

What are some alternatives to "had been evaluating"?

You can use phrases like "had been assessing", "had been reviewing", or "had been considering" depending on the specific context and nuance you want to convey.

Is there a difference between "had been evaluating" and "evaluated"?

"Had been evaluating" implies a continuous action over a period in the past, while "evaluated" suggests a completed action at a specific point in the past. For example, "They "had been evaluating" the data" indicates an ongoing process, whereas "They evaluated the data" suggests a finished assessment.

When should I use "had been evaluating" instead of "was evaluating"?

Use ""had been evaluating"" when you want to emphasize that the evaluation process occurred before another point in time in the past. "Was evaluating" simply describes an ongoing action in the past, without necessarily relating it to another past event.