had been remaining

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been remaining" is grammatically correct but may be considered awkward or redundant in some contexts.
It can be used when describing a state of being that has continued up to a certain point in the past. Example: "The documents had been remaining in the office for several months before they were finally reviewed."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Though possible to convert NTSC to VGA through precise edge-based interrupts, timing, sampling, and buffering, that goal seemed incredibly unlikely and also risky for the amount of time that had been remaining, and would likely have entailed in entire project in and of itself.

Cornell University

For now... Henry, the center of all the action, had been remaining remarkably calm.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Yet the void where the national war story had been remained.

Huffington Post

But little traces of what it had been remain: The black walls are painted white, the stripper poles are removed, and the bar is taken down when.

Huffington Post

The research firm found that Android brand loyalty has been remaining steadily high since early 2016, and remains at the highest levels ever seen.

TechCrunch

About 40,000 Americans are newly infected each year, a number that has been remaining steady.

The New York Times - Health

However, due to its low bioavailability, the mechanism of action has been remaining vague and is not likely associated with its antioxidant effect.

Free Radical Biology and Medicine

In very short time after the sonication stops, the process has been remaining.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Even though AD method has the scope of using suitable catalysts and gas phases, it has been remaining a longstanding problem to synthesize uniform and pure SWCNTs [88].

Nanoscale Research Letters

And, for many years, fresh frozen plasma (FFP), platelet concentrates, and cryoprecipitate have been remaining central in the treatment of infectious PF [ 1].

Disease Markers

Although reflexion modeling seems to be relatively popular, the architecture model for it has been remained informal.

Software Quality Assurance

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider using simpler alternatives like "had been staying" or "had continued to be" unless you specifically want to emphasize a sense of something being left over or enduring.

Common error

Avoid using "had been remaining" when a simple past continuous tense ("was remaining") would suffice. The past perfect continuous should indicate an action continuing until a point in the past, and it can sound unnecessarily complex if overused.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been remaining" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect continuous tense. It indicates an action or state that was ongoing before a specific point in the past. As Ludwig AI notes, it's grammatically sound but can sometimes be replaced with simpler alternatives.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had been remaining" is a grammatically correct past perfect continuous construction, but it's relatively rare and can sometimes sound awkward. As Ludwig AI points out, simpler alternatives like "had been staying" or "had continued to be" are often preferred. While "had been remaining" can be found in academic, news, and scientific contexts, it's important to consider whether a simpler phrasing would be more appropriate for your intended audience and purpose. Overuse of this phrase can lead to unnecessarily complex sentence structures. The phrase functions to emphasize the duration and continuity of a past action, and while valid, mindful usage ensures clarity and naturalness in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been staying

Replaces "remaining" with "staying", indicating a temporary state of existence.

had been continuing

Focuses on the ongoing nature of the action or state.

had been persisting

Emphasizes the tenacity or endurance of the state.

had been existing

Replaces "remaining" with "existing", focusing on the state of being.

had been lingering

Suggests a slow or gradual continuation.

had been holding

Emphasizes maintenance of a position or state.

had been prevailing

Implies dominance or widespread existence during that time.

had been upholding

Focuses on actively maintaining or supporting something.

had been sustaining

Suggests the process of keeping something in existence or continuing.

had been keeping

Emphasizes continuous possession or maintenance.

FAQs

What does "had been remaining" mean?

The phrase "had been remaining" describes a state or condition that persisted up to a certain point in the past. It's a past perfect continuous construction, indicating duration before a specific time.

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

Use "had been remaining" when describing something that was in the process of continuing until some point in the past. For example, "The question of who was at fault had been remaining unanswered until the investigation concluded."

Which is a better alternative to "had been remaining"?

Alternatives such as "had been staying" or "had continued to be" can often sound more natural and less awkward than "had been remaining" depending on the context.

Is "had been remaining" formal or informal?

While grammatically correct, "had been remaining" can sound somewhat formal or stilted. Simpler alternatives are often preferred in informal contexts.