had been gained

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been gained" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in the past perfect tense to indicate that something was acquired or achieved before another past event. Example: "By the time the project was completed, significant experience had been gained by the team."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

An empire had been gained but still had to be pacified and organized.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Whatever the measure, retail sales gave up ground that had been gained in April and May.

The New York Times

Nottinghamshire police said that access had been gained to the site by protesters at about 1.20am.

The Guardian

The Air Ministry reported the test was successful in that valuable experience had been gained by the ground personnel.

The New York Times

However, the men's defence team argued that the confessions, which were soon rescinded, had been gained under torture, prompting alarm from human rights groups.

The Guardian

This raid occurred in response to information that had been gained by coalition forces from some foreign fighters we encountered from other countries, not Iraq.

The New York Times

Access to the records had been gained using the computer sign-on of a pediatric nurse, but investigators concluded she had not retrieved the records herself, two officials said.

The New York Times

Because of his modern political and economic outlook, he was able to attract the younger intelligentsia of India to Gandhi's movement of nonviolent resistance against the British and later to rally them around him after independence had been gained.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Soon after the war ended, much of the population left the region's ruined cities and towns and moved to land to the west that had been gained from defeated Germany.

Encyclopedia Britannica

But this impressive record had been gained with a modicum of fortune: Gerd Müller had scored an 88th-minute winner at home against Austria, and a 90th-minute winner away in Cyprus.

The Guardian - Sport

Once the lap had been gained – it took about five minutes, which is relatively long – there was not enough time for anyone else to emulate them and their substantial points advantage meant they could not be challenged.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been gained" to clearly indicate that an action of gaining or acquiring was completed before another point in the past. This helps establish a clear sequence of events in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "had been gained" when the simple past tense ("was gained") is sufficient and more concise. The past perfect is necessary only when you need to emphasize that the gaining happened before another past action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been gained" functions as a past perfect passive construction. It indicates that something (e.g., knowledge, experience, territory) was acquired or achieved before a specific point in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's a grammatically correct and usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Science

29%

Encyclopedias

23%

Less common in

Wiki

13%

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been gained" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase in English, serving as a past perfect passive construction to indicate that something was acquired before a specific point in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is correct and usable, appearing often in diverse sources from news and media to scientific and encyclopedic texts. While alternatives like "had been acquired" or "had been obtained" exist, the choice depends on the specific nuance desired. Remember to use the past perfect tense only when necessary to establish a sequence of events, and avoid overuse where the simple past would suffice.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been acquired

Replaces "gained" with "acquired", emphasizing the process of obtaining something.

had been attained

Substitutes "gained" with "attained", suggesting a successful effort to achieve something.

had been achieved

Replaces "gained" with "achieved", highlighting accomplishment.

had been obtained

Uses "obtained" instead of "gained", focusing on the act of receiving or getting something.

had been secured

Emphasizes the act of making something safe or certain, often through effort.

had been realized

Focuses on bringing something into being or making it a reality.

had been earned

Highlights that something was acquired through effort or service.

had been won

Implies gaining something through competition or conflict.

had been developed

Suggests a process of growth or improvement leading to something being gained.

had been derived

Indicates that something was obtained from a source or origin.

FAQs

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

Use "had been gained" to indicate that something was acquired or achieved before another past event. For example, "By the time the project was completed, significant experience "had been gained" by the team."

What's a good alternative to "had been gained"?

Alternatives include phrases like "had been acquired", "had been achieved", or "had been obtained", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

When should I use "had been gained" versus "was gained"?

"Had been gained" is used in the past perfect tense to show that an action was completed before another action in the past. "Was gained" is used in the simple past tense when describing a single event in the past without reference to another prior event.

Is "had been gained" formal or informal?

The phrase "had been gained" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its usage depends more on the surrounding sentence structure and the overall tone of the writing rather than the phrase itself.