had been previously

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been previously" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that has happened, was true, or was in place before a certain point in time. For example, "The data had been previously collected from students in the district."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Both had been previously married.

The New York Times

No written guidelines had been previously produced.

Annales Françaises d'Anesthésie et de Réanimation

A first prototype had been previously developed.

Optical Materials

Eight patients had been previously operated upon.

Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery

Infections among birds had been previously reported.

The New York Times

Neither had been previously available in English until now.

Stanford University

It had been previously converted with an incorrect exchange.

The Guardian

About half of the $107 million had been previously budgeted.

The New York Times

The cuts had been previously announced in October.

The New York Times

None had been previously disclosed by the CDC.

The Washington Post

The figure is higher than had been previously thought.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been previously" to clearly establish a sequence of events in the past, emphasizing that one event occurred before another. For example, "The data had been previously analyzed before the report was written."

Common error

Avoid using "had been previously" with other adverbs of time that convey the same meaning. For example, instead of saying "had been previously already", simply use "had already been" or "had been previously".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been previously" functions as a part of the past perfect passive voice. It indicates that an action was completed before another point in the past. As Ludwig AI states, this phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

54%

News & Media

32%

Academia

5%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been previously" is a grammatically correct phrase used to indicate that an action or state occurred before a specific point in the past. As stated by Ludwig AI, it is widely applicable in written English. The phrase is commonly found in scientific and news media contexts. When using "had been previously", avoid redundancy with other adverbs of time. Alternative phrases include "was previously" and "had formerly been". The choice depends on the specific nuance you wish to convey. By understanding its function and context, you can effectively use this phrase to enhance the clarity and precision of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had already been

Adds "already" for emphasis, indicating that something happened before an expected time.

was previously

Simplifies the tense to past tense, omitting the perfect aspect. This makes it less formal and slightly less emphatic.

had formerly been

Replaces "previously" with "formerly", emphasizing that something used to be in a certain state.

had been hitherto

Uses "hitherto" instead of "previously", indicating up to a specific point in the past.

had earlier been

Substitutes "previously" with "earlier", focusing on the temporal sequence.

had in the past been

Adds "in the past" to explicitly state that something occurred at some unspecified time before the present.

was once

Uses a simpler construction to indicate a past state or condition, omitting the passive voice.

had previously existed

Focuses on the existence of something in the past, rather than a state or action.

had antecedently been

Replaces "previously" with the more formal "antecedently", adding a layer of complexity and sophistication.

had aforetime been

Replaces "previously" with the archaic "aforetime", significantly altering the register.

FAQs

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

Use "had been previously" to indicate that something occurred before a specific point in the past. For example, "The experiment "had been previously" conducted in another lab before this study."

What are some alternatives to "had been previously"?

You can use alternatives such as "was previously", "had formerly been", or "had earlier been" depending on the context and desired emphasis. Consider if the specific nuance of each alternative fits your writing better.

Is "had been previously" redundant?

While not inherently redundant, be cautious of using it with other adverbs that convey similar meaning. Overuse can make your writing sound repetitive or clunky.

What is the difference between "had been previously" and "was previously"?

"Had been previously" establishes a more explicit sequence in the past, indicating that something occurred before another past event. "Was previously" simply indicates that something was true at an earlier time without necessarily connecting it to another event.