had been recovered

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been recovered" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in the past perfect tense to indicate that something was recovered before another past event. Example: "The stolen artifacts had been recovered by the police before the exhibition opened."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

A total of 63 had been recovered.

The New York Times

He said "many bodies" had been recovered.

The New York Times

Fourteen bodies had been recovered.

The New York Times

A backpack had been recovered.

The New York Times

After 48 years, he had been recovered.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Officials said 23 bodies had been recovered.

The New York Times

By noon, one had been recovered.

The New York Times

He said eight bodies had been recovered.

The Guardian

No bodies had been recovered since Thursday.

The New York Times

Between 300 and 400 bodies had been recovered, Lim said.

The Guardian

Detective Pentangelo said no weapon had been recovered yet.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been recovered" to emphasize that something was found or restored before a specific point in the past. For instance, "The painting had been recovered before the auction started."

Common error

Avoid using "had been recovered" when simply stating something is found. Use "was recovered" or "has been recovered" if the prior action isn't relevant.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been recovered" functions as a passive perfect construction, indicating that an action of recovering something was completed before a specific point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

61%

Science

20%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

3%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been recovered" is a grammatically correct and commonly used passive perfect construction. As Ludwig AI explains, it is used to indicate that something was found or restored before a specific point in the past. It is frequently found in News & Media sources, followed by scientific and academic contexts. When you want to emphasize the completion of the recovery action within a specific temporal context you can confidently use the phrase "had been recovered".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been retrieved

Replaces "recovered" with "retrieved", emphasizing the act of getting something back.

had been found

Uses "found" instead of "recovered", focusing on the discovery aspect.

had been restored

Emphasizes the act of returning something to its original condition.

had been regained

Focuses on reclaiming something that was lost.

had been reclaimed

Similar to "regained", but often used for abstract concepts or land.

had been salvaged

Suggests that something was saved from destruction or loss.

had been rescued

Implies that something or someone was saved from a dangerous situation.

had been located

Focuses on the act of finding something's position.

had been discovered

Highlights the initial finding of something previously unknown or hidden.

had been reacquired

Indicates that something was obtained again after a period of absence.

FAQs

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

Use "had been recovered" to indicate that something was found or restored before a specific point in the past. For example, "The stolen jewels "had been recovered" before the police arrived".

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

You can use alternatives like "had been retrieved", "had been found", or "had been restored" depending on the context.

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

"Had been recovered" is used in the past perfect tense, indicating an action completed before another past action. "Was recovered" is simple past tense. Use "had been recovered" when the sequence of past events matters.

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

"Had been recovered" (past perfect) refers to an action completed before another point in the past. "Has been recovered" (present perfect) refers to an action completed at an unspecified time in the past but relevant to the present.