had been shipped

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'had been shipped' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to something (usually an object or goods) that was shipped (sent or transported) in the past. For example: The package had been shipped two days before, but it still hadn't arrived at its destination.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

The officials said the arms had been shipped through Damascus.

The New York Times

12,000 tons of munitions had been shipped this way.

The New Yorker

It had been shipped back to Brooklyn and stored in a friend's Gowanus metal shop.

The New York Times - Arts

In previous months, more than two-thirds had been shipped by land.

The New York Times

Within days, almost the entire cast of children had been shipped "East" to the gas chambers.

The Guardian - Music

According to the documents: "This represented gold which had been shipped to London by the Reichsbank.

The Guardian - Business

In fact, only 15 million units had been shipped by 1986.

Harvard Business Review

Her father, John Park, had been shipped to South Africa in 1894 to "cure" his tuberculosis.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

3 human-written examples

It was the first book turned out by a printing press that had been shipped over from England.

The New York Times

Medications, donated by various institutions or purchased through private donations, had been shipped from the United States prior to the mission.

Autoimmunity Highlights

The termites presumably had been shipped from North America in wooden containers of decorative potted plants.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had been shipped", ensure the context clearly establishes the two points in time: the shipping action completed before a specific past reference. For example: "The goods had been shipped last week when the storm hit."

Common error

Avoid using "had been shipped" when a simple past tense ("was shipped") suffices. Use the past perfect only when emphasizing that the shipping occurred before another event in the past. For example, instead of "The order had been shipped yesterday," say "The order was shipped yesterday" if there's no subsequent event.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been shipped" functions as a past perfect passive construction. It indicates that the action of shipping was completed before a specific time in the past. Ludwig examples illustrate its usage in various contexts, denoting a completed action prior to a subsequent event or realization.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

47%

Science

28%

Academia

9%

Less common in

Wiki

7%

Formal & Business

1%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been shipped" is a grammatically correct and very common past perfect passive phrase used to indicate that something was shipped before a specific point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and provides numerous examples from diverse sources, primarily news, scientific, and academic contexts. When writing, it's important to ensure the context clearly establishes the two points in time and to avoid using it when a simple past tense would suffice. Alternatives like "had been transported" or "had been delivered" can be used depending on the desired emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been transported

Focuses on the act of moving something from one place to another, similar to shipping.

had been delivered

Emphasizes the arrival of something at its destination after being shipped.

had been dispatched

Highlights the act of sending something out for delivery.

had been forwarded

Implies that something was sent on to another destination after an initial shipment.

had been conveyed

A more formal way of saying something had been transported or shipped.

had been consigned

Focuses on the act of entrusting goods to a carrier for shipping.

had been exported

Specifically refers to goods that had been shipped out of a country.

had been imported

Specifically refers to goods that had been shipped into a country.

had been routed

Focuses on the path or direction something had been shipped along.

had been freighted

Implies that goods had been shipped via freight transport.

FAQs

How do I use "had been shipped" in a sentence?

Use "had been shipped" to indicate that something was shipped before a specific point in the past. For example, "The package had been shipped before I realized the address was incorrect."

What's the difference between "had been shipped" and "was shipped"?

"Was shipped" indicates a simple past action, while "had been shipped" indicates an action completed before another point in the past. For example, "The order was shipped yesterday" vs "The order had been shipped before the customer called to cancel it."

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

You can use alternatives like "had been transported", "had been delivered", or "had been dispatched" depending on the context.

Is "has been shipped" the same as "had been shipped"?

No, "has been shipped" is present perfect and refers to an action completed at some point before now, while "had been shipped" is past perfect and refers to an action completed before another point in the past. It can be replaced with similar alternatives like "has been delivered" or "has been sent".