had been increasing

USAGE SUMMARY

"had been increasing" is correct and usable in written English.
It is the past perfect continuous form of the verb "increase," which indicates that the action of increasing had been in progress over a period of time prior to some other event. Example sentence: "Over the past few months, prices of basic goods had been increasing, leading to an increase in inflation."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Arctic terns had been increasing until about five years ago.

The Economist

Russia had been increasing the pressure and managed to provoke this situation.

The Guardian

Dungy's biggest problem had been increasing fan discontent and frustration with the offense.

The New York Times - Sports

At the time, autism diagnoses had been increasing, and doctors didn't know why.

The Washington Post

For several decades, death rates had been increasing among women with lung cancer.

The New York Times - Health

Ms. Cortez said their purchases of private-label products had been increasing.

The New York Times

Although Ms. Fitzpatrick did not provide figures, she said ticket sales had been increasing.

The New York Times

But in the first year of the new payment system, admissions, which had been increasing, actually declined by 3.5percentt.

The New York Times

The Bengals had been increasing pressure on Dillon to sign after failing to work out a multi-year deal.

The New York Times - Sports

Sietse Bakker, Eurovision's event supervisor, confirmed in May 2015 that there had been "increasing interest" from China.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Mr. Bush's speech here was his first full response to such criticism, which had been increasing in the last week.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been increasing" to describe trends or changes that occurred over a period of time leading up to a specific point in the past. This helps establish a clear timeline in your narrative.

Common error

Avoid using "had been increasing" when describing current trends. Use "has been increasing" for ongoing trends and "increased" for completed actions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been increasing" functions as a verb phrase indicating a continuous action in the past perfect progressive tense. It describes an action that was in progress over a period of time before another action or point in time in the past. Ludwig AI confirms this usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Science

18%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had been increasing" is a grammatically sound and frequently used verb phrase, as validated by Ludwig AI. It describes a continuous action that occurred over a period of time leading up to a specific point in the past. Predominantly found in News & Media, Science, and Formal & Business contexts, it serves to provide background information and establish timelines. For more formal tone and precise language consider alternatives such as “had been rising”, “had been growing” or “had been escalating”. Remember to avoid using this phrase when describing current trends; use “has been increasing” instead.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been rising

Replaces "increasing" with "rising", suggesting a similar upward trend but with a potentially less formal tone.

had been growing

Uses "growing" instead of "increasing", implying a more natural or organic development.

had been escalating

Emphasizes a more rapid and potentially concerning increase compared to "increasing".

had experienced growth

Formally describes an increase as "growth", suitable for business or academic contexts.

had been intensifying

Indicates that something is becoming stronger or more severe.

had seen a rise

Shifts the focus to the observation of an increase, rather than the process itself.

had been mounting

Suggests an accumulation or build-up, often used for intangible things like pressure or tension.

had been accumulating

Highlights a gradual gathering or amassing of something over time.

had been amplifying

Implies that something is being made stronger or louder, as well as larger.

had been swelling

Describes an increase in size or volume, often used metaphorically.

FAQs

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

Use "had been increasing" to describe a continuous action in the past that ended before another point in the past. For example, "Before the recession, housing prices "had been increasing" rapidly".

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

"Had been increasing" describes a past action that continued for a period of time and then stopped before another point in the past, while "has been increasing" describes an action that started in the past and is still continuing into the present.

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

You can use alternatives like "had been rising", "had been growing", or "had been escalating" depending on the context.

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

While "was increasing" is grammatically correct, it describes a continuous action at a specific point in the past, while "had been increasing" emphasizes the duration of the increase leading up to a specific point in the past.