had been planning

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been planning" is correct and usable in written English.
It is used as the past perfect tense to express an action that was completed before another action in the past. Example: I had been planning to visit my grandparents last summer, but the pandemic cancelled my plans.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

54 human-written examples

By then, he had been planning for years.

The New York Times

"I had been planning to work from home.

The New Yorker

"We had been planning this blessed operation for months".

The New York Times

They had been planning an Iceland trip for five years.

The New Yorker

The boys had been planning to smoke it.

The New Yorker

Israel said the three had been planning to kidnap Israelis.

The New York Times

Hungry for power, Agrippina had been planning a coup.

The New Yorker

His aides had been planning the address for weeks.

The New Yorker

He had been planning his crime for days.

The Guardian

Yahoo had been planning to announce Mr. Koogle's resignation today.

The New York Times

Organisers had been planning the event for four years.

The Guardian - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been planning" to highlight the duration and ongoing nature of the planning process before a specific event or point in the past.

Common error

Avoid using "had been planning" when a simple past tense like "planned" is sufficient. Overusing the past perfect progressive can make your writing sound convoluted.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been planning" functions as the past perfect progressive tense. It is used to indicate an action that was in progress or ongoing before another action or point in time in the past. Ludwig AI provides numerous examples to demonstrate its proper use.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Wiki

10%

Science

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

7%

Formal & Business

1%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been planning" is a grammatically correct and frequently used phrase to describe actions in progress before another event in the past. According to Ludwig AI, this past perfect progressive tense effectively communicates duration and intent. Predominantly found in News & Media sources, it also appears in encyclopedias and scientific texts. Remember to use it to emphasize the ongoing nature of the planning process and avoid overusing it when a simpler past tense would suffice. The provided examples and alternative phrases offer further guidance for its effective use.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been intending to plan

Adds emphasis on the continuous intention to plan.

had aimed to plan

Focuses on the aim or goal of planning.

had intended to plan

Changes the focus to intention with the addition of 'intended to'.

had prepared to plan

Emphasizes preparation as part of the planning process.

had set out to plan

Indicates the beginning or setting out of the planning process.

had scheduled to plan

Focuses on the scheduling aspect of planning.

had looked to plan

Indicates expectation or hope for the process.

had made arrangements to plan

Highlights that arrangements were made for planning.

had been working toward

Shifts the focus from specific plans to working towards the goal.

had envisioned

Highlights the act of visualizing or imagining the plan.

FAQs

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

"Had been planning" indicates an action that continued for some time before another action in the past. For example, "They "had been planning" the trip for months when they finally booked the tickets."

What's the difference between "had been planning" and "planned"?

"Planned" indicates a completed action in the past, while "had been planning" emphasizes the ongoing nature of the planning process before another point in the past. For example, "She "planned" a party" versus "She "had been planning" the party for weeks before it was cancelled."

What are some alternatives to "had been planning"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "had intended to plan", "had scheduled to plan", or "had made arrangements to plan".

Is it correct to use "had been plan" instead of "had been planning"?

No, "had been plan" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is ""had been planning"", which uses the past participle form of the verb.