had been sent before

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been sent before" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something was dispatched or delivered at an earlier time in the past, often in relation to another event or action. Example: "The documents had been sent before the deadline, ensuring that everything was in order for the meeting."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Napolitano said checks were being done to establish whether other packages had been sent before the two that were intercepted.

The Guardian

The French defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, also said that special forces had been sent before the airstrikes to Mopti, a city near Konna that the Mali government says it cannot lose.

The New York Times

In the algorithm, the sender must wait for a number of segments that already had been sent, before it sets the CWND and carries on with the next set of segments.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Also, in recent months, three LAPD captains have filed lawsuits against Beck and the department, alleging that they suffered retaliation from senior police officials after they opted not to fire officers who had been sent before discipline hearing boards.

Los Angeles Times

22 Participating twins underwent a nurse-led interview and had been sent, before their visit, a standardised questionnaire for completion, without conferring, relating to lifetime history of low back symptoms.

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

That looks at how the radiowaves that are being sent get scattered as they travel through space — the higher the dispersion measure, the further that radiowaves seem to have been sent before they arrived.

Independent

The American reticence stems in part from the reality that such ultimatums have been sent before — most recently after the arrest of Raymond Davis, a Central Intelligence Agency contractor who shot two Pakistanis during what he said was a robbery.

The New York Times

Second, for feasibility reasons, baseline questionnaires and information brochures were sent in the same mailing; to achieve a sound baseline, the questionnaires should have been sent before the brochures, also allowing for a no-brochure control group.

BioMed Research International

Again we went back to British Gas, and it said this had been sent out before the solution was found.

The Guardian - Money

Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the second half and Pablo Zabaleta had been sent off before Kompany equalised in the 89th minute.

The Guardian - Sport

Simon Mensing saw a late penalty saved after the Alloa goalkeeper Stephen Robertson had been sent off before Flavio Paixao sealed the win in injury time as the majority of the 1,054 crowd headed home happy for once.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had been sent before", ensure the context clearly establishes the two points in time being referenced: the time of sending and the time before which it occurred. For instance, "The warning signs had been sent before the storm hit".

Common error

Avoid using "had been sent before" when a simple past tense would suffice. Overusing the past perfect can make your writing sound unnecessarily complex. For example, instead of saying "The email had been sent before I left", you could say "The email was sent before I left".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been sent before" functions as a past perfect passive construction, indicating an action (sending) completed before a specific point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its use in various contexts to establish a sequence of events.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been sent before" is a grammatically sound and frequently used past perfect passive construction. Ludwig AI confirms its appropriateness for indicating an action completed before a specific point in the past. While suitable for various contexts, including news, science, and general writing, remember to ensure clear tense sequencing and avoid unnecessary complexity by considering simpler alternatives when appropriate. Understanding its function and communicative purpose will help you effectively integrate "had been sent before" into your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had previously been dispatched

Emphasizes the prior nature of the dispatch.

was dispatched earlier

Focuses on the action of dispatching at an earlier time.

was transmitted beforehand

Highlights the act of transmitting something in advance.

was transmitted in advance

Focuses on the act of transmitting something beforehand.

had been forwarded ahead of time

Specifies the action of forwarding in advance.

had been shipped previously

Focuses on the shipping action at an earlier time.

was communicated earlier on

Emphasizes the act of communication at a prior point.

had been conveyed in advance

Highlights the conveying of information beforehand.

was issued at an earlier date

Focuses on the issuance of something at a prior date.

had been mailed earlier

Emphasizes the mailing action at an earlier time.

FAQs

How can I use "had been sent before" in a sentence?

Use "had been sent before" to indicate that something was dispatched or delivered at an earlier point in the past, often in relation to another event. For example: "The documents "had been sent before" the deadline."

What's a simpler alternative to "had been sent before"?

Alternatives include "was sent earlier" or "had previously been sent", depending on the specific context.

Is "had been send before" grammatically correct?

No, the correct form is ""had been sent before"". "Sent" is the past participle of "send", which is required in the past perfect passive construction.

When should I use "had been sent before" versus "was sent before"?

"Had been sent before" implies a completed action in the past before another point in time, whereas "was sent before" simply indicates an action in the past prior to another event. The former establishes a clearer sequence of events.