had been received

USAGE SUMMARY

"had been received" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when referring to something that has already been received in the past. Example: I was glad to hear that the package I had sent had been received.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

By last month, only $18.4 billion had been received.

The New York Times

But so far, no call had been received.

The New York Times

A reporter asked if a ransom note had been received.

The New Yorker

The eight calls had been received as of Wednesday.

The New York Times

Google told the Guardian no bill had been received.

The Guardian - Tech

He did not estimate how many complaints had been received.

The New York Times

No response had been received as we went to press.

The Guardian - Money

At the time of writing, no complaint had been received.

The Guardian

The information had been received in confidence, we pleaded.

The Guardian

Mr. Barlow inquired whether any complaint had been received about his company.

Cornell University

While sending continuous intermittent current, a "sound shaped electric current" had been received.

Princeton University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been received" to emphasize that an action of receiving was completed before another point in the past. This helps establish a clear sequence of events.

Common error

Avoid using "had been received" when simple past tense ("was received") is sufficient. Use "had been received" only when you need to show that the receiving action preceded another past event.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been received" functions as the past perfect passive voice of the verb "receive". It indicates that the action of receiving was completed before a specific point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms this with numerous examples demonstrating its use in describing past events.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

46%

Academia

24%

Science

24%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been received" is a grammatically correct and frequently used past perfect passive phrase. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's best employed to specify that the action of receiving occurred before another point in the past, offering clarity to the sequence of events. It's prevalent in news, academic, and scientific contexts. While it can be replaced with simpler past tense forms like "was received", using "had been received" is crucial when you need to emphasize the timing of the receiving action relative to another past event. Therefore it's important to consider avoiding the use of "had been received" when a simpler tense will work.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was received

Changes the tense from past perfect to simple past, implying a more immediate past action.

was obtained

Substitutes "received" with "obtained", focusing on the act of acquiring something.

was in receipt of

Formal alternative using a noun phrase.

had been delivered

Replaces "received" with "delivered", shifting the focus to the action of delivering rather than receiving.

had been accepted

Highlights the acceptance of something, implying approval or agreement.

had been submitted

Focuses on the act of submitting, implying that something was presented for consideration.

had arrived

Simple substitution focusing on arrival.

was in hand

Implies that something is now available and being dealt with.

had come in

Uses a phrasal verb to indicate arrival, often used for information or documents.

we had gotten

Uses a more informal verb "gotten" instead of "received".

FAQs

How to use "had been received" in a sentence?

Use "had been received" to indicate that something was received before a specific point in the past. For example, "The package "had been received" before I left for vacation."

What can I say instead of "had been received"?

You can use alternatives like "was received", "had arrived", or "was obtained" depending on the context.

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

"Had been received" is used when the action of receiving occurred before another point in the past. "Was received" is used for a simple past action.

What's the difference between "had been received" and "has been received"?

"Had been received" refers to a completed action in the past before another past action. "Has been received" connects a past action to the present.