had been expecting

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been expecting" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate a past expectation that was held over a period of time before another past event occurred. Example: "She had been expecting a call from her friend, but it never came."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Analysts had been expecting a weak number.

The New York Times

The financial markets had been expecting 1.4%.

The Economist

I had been expecting this.

The Guardian

Analysts had been expecting 20 cents a share.

The New York Times

Economists had been expecting a 0.4 percent rise.

The New York Times

He had been expecting something lavish.

The Guardian - Opinion

Analysts had been expecting $1.68 a share.

The New York Times

The analysts had been expecting 8percentt.

The New York Times

Analysts had been expecting around €1.6bn.

The Guardian - Business

Analysts had been expecting signings of more than $12 billion.

The New York Times - Tech

Forecasters had been expecting unemployment to rise to 5.7%.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been expecting" to clearly indicate that an expectation was held for a period of time before a specific event in the past. This helps establish a sequence of events and clarify the context for the reader.

Common error

Avoid shifting tenses unexpectedly. Ensure that the surrounding sentences maintain a consistent past perfect or past tense to avoid confusion when using "had been expecting".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been expecting" functions as a past perfect continuous verb phrase. It indicates an action or state that was ongoing or anticipated over a period of time before another action or point in the past. Ludwig's examples confirm that it's frequently used to express prior expectations.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Formal & Business

17%

Academia

7%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been expecting" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase that describes an expectation held before a past event. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is versatile and appears across diverse contexts, including news, business, and academic writing. While alternatives such as "had anticipated" or "was anticipating" exist, "had been expecting" effectively conveys the duration and anticipation of a past expectation. When writing, ensure consistent tense usage and consider the specific nuance you wish to convey to choose the most appropriate phrasing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been anticipating

This alternative maintains the continuous aspect, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the anticipation.

had anticipated

This alternative is slightly more formal and emphasizes a more thoughtful anticipation.

had counted on

This implies a reliance on something happening as expected.

had foreseen

This implies a predictive element, suggesting seeing something in advance.

had predicted

This suggests a more specific and confident forecast of what would happen.

had looked forward to

This phrase expresses a positive expectation and eagerness.

had assumed

This indicates an expectation based on a belief or supposition, possibly without firm evidence.

had presumed

Similar to "had assumed", this suggests an expectation based on probability or likelihood.

had reckoned on

This implies a calculated expectation, often in a practical sense.

had bargained for

This suggests expecting something, often something challenging or negative.

FAQs

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

You can use "had been expecting" to describe a past expectation before another event. For example: "She had been expecting a call, but it never came."

What are some alternatives to "had been expecting"?

Alternatives include "had anticipated", "had foreseen", or "had been anticipating", depending on the context.

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

While "was expecting" is grammatically correct, it doesn't emphasize the duration of the expectation prior to another past event as clearly as "had been expecting" does. "She was expecting a call" suggests a general expectation, while "She had been expecting a call" suggests she anticipated it for some time before it didn't arrive.

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

"Had been expecting" and "was anticipating" are quite similar. However, "was anticipating" can sometimes imply a more active or conscious process of anticipation, while "had been expecting" is a more neutral statement of prior expectation.