had been making

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence 'had been making' is correct and can be used in written English.
It is a form of the verb 'to make' in the past perfect tense, which is used to describe an action that was completed before another event or action in the past. Example: By the time lunch arrived, I had been making preparations for the party all morning.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It had been making progress in 2012.

The Economist

I really had been making electricity.

The New Yorker

Hoxey had been making the calls.

The New Yorker

He had been making similar complaints for a month.

The New York Times

She had been making all these decisions on her own.

The New York Times

She later suggested she had been making a joke.

The Guardian - Film

I realized that we had been making some classic mistakes.

The New York Times

Of late, O.D.B. had been making a comeback.

The New Yorker

For years, lower courts had been making similar rulings.

The New York Times

Castresana thought, Rosenberg had been making threats to himself.

The New Yorker

For years, Ryan had been making these very arguments.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been making" to describe actions that started in the past, continued for a period, and were completed or interrupted before another point in the past. This helps establish a clear sequence of events.

Common error

Avoid using "had been making" when a simple past tense or past continuous tense would suffice. Overusing the past perfect continuous can make your writing sound convoluted. Ensure the action's duration and completion before another past event are relevant to the sentence's meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been making" functions as the past perfect continuous tense of the verb "make". It describes an action that was in progress over a period of time that ended before another action in the past. Ludwig provides many examples that show its use in varied contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Academia

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been making" is a versatile verb phrase used to describe actions in progress before a specific time in the past. As confirmed by Ludwig, it's grammatically correct and common in various contexts, especially news and media. When writing, remember to use this phrase to emphasize the duration and continuity of an action that occurred before another past event. Avoid overusing the past perfect continuous tense when simpler tenses suffice.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was in the process of creating

Emphasizes the ongoing nature of the creation, replacing the more general 'making'.

had been constructing

Focuses on the building or assembly aspect of 'making'.

had been producing

Highlights the output or yield of a process, differing from general 'making'.

had engaged in the creation of

Formal and emphasizes involvement in a creative process.

had been developing

Stresses the evolution and advancement involved in 'making'.

had worked on

Highlights the effort and labor involved in 'making' something.

had fashioned

Implies skillful creation or shaping.

was busy crafting

Emphasizes the active and possibly artistic aspect of 'making'.

had established

Implies a setting up or founding which is different from "making".

had prepared

Highlights readiness and arrangement.

FAQs

How is "had been making" used in a sentence?

"Had been making" indicates an action that started in the past, continued for a period, and was completed or interrupted by another action or time in the past. For example, "She "had been making" dinner when the phone rang".

What are some alternatives to "had been making"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "was in the process of creating", "had been constructing", or "had been producing" to express similar meanings.

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

While "was making" is also a valid past tense, it doesn't necessarily imply that the action was completed or interrupted by another event. "Had been making" specifies that the action occurred over a period before another event in the past.

What's the difference between "had been making" and "had made"?

"Had been making" (past perfect continuous) emphasizes the duration and ongoing nature of an action before another point in the past. "Had made" (past perfect simple) simply indicates that an action was completed before another point in the past, without emphasizing its duration.