had been procuring

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been procuring" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past before another action occurred. Example: "She had been procuring the necessary supplies for the project before the deadline was moved up."

✓ Grammatically correct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

"I did not suggest that these stories had been procured through hacking my phone".

The Guardian

They went downstairs, where lunch had been procured from a takeout spot.

The New Yorker

Meloy sampled an oyster from the Pacific Northwest, of course that had been procured from the John Dory, across the lobby.

The New Yorker

The bombers and bombs had been procured at enormous cost: they couldn't be left to rot.

The Guardian - Books

Meloy sampled an oyster — from the Pacific Northwest, of course — that had been procured from the John Dory, across the lobby.

The New Yorker

Several traders encouraged the investigators to record in documents that the ivory had been procured before the global trade ban was imposed 16 years ago.

The Guardian

Soon State Police cruisers could speed down the street toward a backhoe that had been procured to flip the news van back upright.

The New York Times - Sports

It was later discovered that Megrahi had a number of false passports, which he had used to travel between Malta, where LAA had an office, and Zürich, where the bomb's timing device had been procured.

Britannica

The admissions from the governor's office came after weeks of debilitating reports in the press, which had detailed irregularities in the way the home improvements had been procured.

The New York Times

Newspapers in the US had never before had to deal with the conundrum of what to do with leaked documents that had been procured illegally by people not in official positions.

The Guardian

Their two-year-old, Tehue, sat in a car seat behind Herman, clutching a figurine of Ned Flanders from "The Simpsons," which had been procured at a Burger King in Jersey City.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been procuring" when you want to emphasize the continuous nature of the action of obtaining something before a specific point in the past.

Common error

Avoid using "had been procuring" if the action of obtaining was not continuous or ongoing before a specific past event. Use "had procured" instead if the procurement was a completed action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been procuring" functions as a past perfect continuous verb phrase. It describes an action of obtaining something that was in progress before another point in the past.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had been procuring" is a grammatically correct past perfect continuous verb phrase used to describe an ongoing action of obtaining something before a specific point in the past. Ludwig AI suggests it emphasizes the duration and continuity of the action. While several semantically related alternatives exist, like "had been acquiring" or "had been obtaining", the choice depends on the specific context and nuance you wish to convey. Due to the absence of examples, assessing its frequency and typical usage patterns is challenging.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been acquiring

Focuses more on the process of gaining possession over time.

had been obtaining

Emphasizes the act of getting or gaining something, often through effort.

had been securing

Highlights the effort to make something safe and certain to have.

had been sourcing

Specific to finding the origin or supplier of something.

had been gathering

Implies collecting items together over a period.

had been collecting

Suggests accumulating something gradually.

had been purchasing

Refers specifically to buying something.

had been buying

A simpler way to say purchasing.

had been getting

General term for receiving or obtaining something.

had been arranging for

Suggests making plans and preparations to obtain something.

FAQs

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

Use "had been procuring" to describe an action of obtaining something that was in progress before a specific point in the past. For example, "She "had been procuring" supplies for the event before the budget cuts were announced".

What is the difference between "had been procuring" and "had procured"?

"Had been procuring" indicates an ongoing process of obtaining something, while "had procured" indicates a completed action. For example, "She "had been procuring" materials all week" (ongoing) vs. "She "had procured" all the materials by Friday" (completed).

Which is correct, "had been procuring" or "was procuring"?

Both can be correct, but they have different meanings. "Had been procuring" emphasizes that the action was completed before another event in the past, while "was procuring" simply describes an action in progress at a certain time in the past.

What are some alternatives to "had been procuring"?

You can use alternatives like "had been acquiring", "had been obtaining", or "had been securing" depending on the specific context.