had been proofread

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been proofread" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that a document or text underwent proofreading at some point in the past before a specific time or event. Example: "The final draft of the report had been proofread by the editor to ensure there were no errors."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Annotations to this text file reported that it had been proofread against the facsimile of the first edition, edited by Ernst Mayr (Darwin 1859).

Evolution: Education and Outreach

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

"The minute he finished one, he started on the next". On the last afternoon of his life, he had been proofreading an autobiography that describes his self-education as a wandering youth, Applebaum said.

Los Angeles Times

What little explanation there was of the book displays did not appear to have been proofread.

The New Yorker

Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process.

Huffington Post

This manuscript has been proofread by Chuck Simons, a native English speaking university instructor in English.

Genetics, Selection, Evolution

Thank you for the reminder, the revised manuscript has been proofread by a native English speaker in our institution.

eLife

This manuscript has been proofread by Mrs. Valma Ruth Dunstan, BA, BEdSt, CELTA, MA (TESOL), a native English-speaker and instructor of English at the University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia).

BMC Genomics

He gave up teaching, and since the mid-1990's he has been proofreading and performing.

The New York Times

But I have had that fever for a decade, because, as her translator Ann Goldstein's devoted apprentice and friend, I have been proofreading Ferrante since "The Days of Abandonment," published in 2005.

The New Yorker

After having been proofread, the JSE-Br (see Additional File: 1) was tested on 39 fifth-year medical students (86.7% of the total) during their internal medicine clerkship OSCE in September 2010.

BMC Medical Education

It was appalling that the school lists and assignments had not been proofread by the teachers before distribution.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had been proofread", ensure the context clearly establishes a past time frame relative to another event. This clarifies the sequence of actions and prevents ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "had been proofread" when the simple past tense ("was proofread") is sufficient. The past perfect tense is appropriate when describing an action completed before another past action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been proofread" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect passive voice. It indicates that the action of proofreading was completed before a specific point in the past. Ludwig confirms its usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Academia

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been proofread" is a grammatically sound verb phrase used to indicate that a text was reviewed and corrected before a certain point in the past. Ludwig confirms its correctness and usability. Its usage is relatively uncommon but is found in various contexts, including scientific, news-related, and academic writing. When using this phrase, ensure clarity regarding the past timeframe to avoid ambiguity. Common alternatives include "was proofread" and "has been proofread", each with slightly different nuances in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was proofread

Simple past passive form instead of past perfect passive, indicating a completed action in the past.

has been proofread

Present perfect passive form, focusing on the current state resulting from a past action.

had been checked for errors

More explicit about the purpose of proofreading.

had undergone proofreading

Uses 'undergone' to emphasize the process of proofreading.

had been reviewed and corrected

Expands on proofreading by including a review stage.

had been edited

Focuses on broader editing rather than specifically proofreading.

had been revised

Implies more substantial changes than just proofreading.

had been finalized

Suggests that all corrections and reviews are complete.

had been polished

A more figurative way of saying that it has been refined through proofreading.

was verified

Indicates confirmation of accuracy, overlapping with proofreading's goal.

FAQs

What does "had been proofread" mean?

The phrase "had been proofread" indicates that a text or document underwent proofreading at some point in the past before another event or time also in the past. It's the past perfect passive form of the verb "proofread".

When should I use "had been proofread" instead of "was proofread"?

Use "had been proofread" when you're talking about something that was proofread before another action in the past. For example: "The report "had been proofread" before it was submitted." Use "was proofread" when simply stating that something was proofread in the past, without referring to another action.

What are some alternatives to "had been proofread"?

Alternatives include "was proofread", "has been proofread", or "had been checked for errors", depending on the context and nuance you want to convey.

Is it incorrect to say "had been proofreaded"?

Yes, "had been proofreaded" is incorrect. The past participle of "proofread" is "proofread", not "proofreaded". The correct form is "had been proofread".