had been shaved

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been shaved" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an action that was completed in the past, often in a passive voice context. Example: "The dog had been shaved for the summer to keep it cool."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

44 human-written examples

Like all the women, her head had been shaved.

The New Yorker

Ms. McLean pointed out where the ends of some handwritten sentences had been shaved away.

The New York Times - Arts

He was bald and beardless, and his eyebrows had been shaved off.

The New Yorker

His beard had been shaved into a goatee after the game, the same hard face.

The New York Times - Sports

Some of his fur had been shaved for treatment of his wounds.

The New York Times

The tax had been shaved by two percentage points the past two years to stimulate the economy.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

16 human-written examples

His kinky hair was cut in a pompadour, and he looked as if he had been shaving since birth.

The New Yorker

The physical evidence appeared unpersuasive: Mr. Sheehan had been shaving before he was killed; his body was found on the bathroom floor, the faucet still running.

The New York Times

He had been shaving a friend's head inside a small one-story wooden building filled with end tables, chests and carefully shaped dowels.

The New York Times

On the day of the killing in February 2008, Ms. Sheehan shot her husband five times with a pistol after he had been shaving in their Howard Beach home.

The New York Times

I solemnly nodded but neglected to mention that I secretly had been shaving for more than a year.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been shaved" to describe a completed action in the past, particularly when indicating a state resulting from that action, such as "His head had been shaved in preparation for surgery".

Common error

Avoid shifting tenses mid-sentence. If you're using "had been shaved" to establish a past perfect state, ensure the rest of the sentence maintains a consistent past tense.

Linguistic Context

"Had been shaved" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect passive voice. It describes an action (shaving) that was completed before another point in the past. Ludwig confirms the expression's validity.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been shaved" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase in English, functioning as a past perfect passive construction. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is suitable for describing actions completed before another point in the past. It is commonly found in "News & Media" and scientific contexts, serving to provide background information or describe a previous state. When using the phrase, ensure consistent tense usage and consider alternative phrases like "was shaved" or "had undergone shaving" for variety.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was shaved

This alternative is a simpler past passive construction, omitting "been" for brevity.

had been trimmed

This alternative suggests a slight reduction, rather than complete removal.

had undergone shaving

This alternative uses a more formal verb construction, emphasizing the process.

had been cut

This alternative is a more general term that can apply to various materials, not just hair.

had been lessened

This alternative emphasizes the reduction in quantity or size.

had been pared

This alternative suggests careful and gradual removal.

had been reduced

This alternative focuses on decreasing a value or measurement.

had been planed

This alternative refers specifically to smoothing a surface by removing thin layers.

had been sheared

This alternative often refers to the removal of fleece from animals.

had been scraped

This alternative implies the removal was achieved by rubbing something against a surface.

FAQs

How is "had been shaved" used in a sentence?

Use "had been shaved" to describe an action completed in the past before another past action. For example, "By the time I arrived, his beard "had been shaved" into a goatee".

What are some alternatives to "had been shaved"?

Depending on the context, consider using alternatives like "was shaved", "had undergone shaving", or "had been trimmed".

Is it correct to say "was shaved" instead of "had been shaved"?

Both "was shaved" and "had been shaved" can be correct, but they convey slightly different meanings. "Was shaved" indicates a simple past action, while "had been shaved" indicates an action completed before another point in the past.

What is the difference between "had been shaved" and "is shaved"?

"Had been shaved" refers to a past action completed before another point in the past, while "is shaved" describes a present state or a habitual action. For instance, "His head "had been shaved" before the surgery," versus "His head "is shaved" every week".