had been shown

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been shown" can be used in written English.
It is the past perfect tense of "to show", where the action has been completed prior to something else. For example: The evidence had been shown to the court before the verdict was announced.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Previously only matches featuring England had been shown.

The Guardian

One of them had been shown in a commercial gallery.

The New Yorker

Annexin XIIIb had been shown to be a member of the lipid raft-dependent trafficking machinery.

European Journal of Cell Biology

PAC mechanical strength had been shown to decrease as more cement was replaced with limestone powder.

Construction and Building Materials

Instead, some in the crowd complained that the city had been shown up by other celebrations.

The New York Times

The short had been shown before the main feature in movie theaters around the nation.

The New York Times

By 1977 it had been shown in 55 countries from Russia to Zambia.

The New York Times

In our meeting an official stated that at least we had been shown the door early.

The Guardian - Opinion

Up until then, gay men had been shown as victims or rather shadowy creatures.

The Guardian - Film

The man had been shown the weird little cubicle, furnished with a radio, a television even.

The New Yorker

The administration said the value of feeding assistants had been shown in Wisconsin and North Dakota.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been shown" to clearly indicate that an action of showing or demonstrating occurred before a specific point in the past. This helps establish a clear sequence of events in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "had been shown" when a simple past tense like "was shown" is more appropriate. Overusing the past perfect can make your writing sound awkward or overly formal. Use "was shown" if the action happened at a single point in the past and there's no need to emphasize its completion before another past action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been shown" functions as the past perfect passive voice of the verb 'to show'. According to Ludwig AI, it indicates that something was displayed, revealed, or demonstrated before a specific point in the past. Examples in Ludwig illustrate its use across various contexts to convey prior revelation or demonstration.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

34%

Academia

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been shown" is a grammatically sound and frequently employed phrase in written English, as validated by Ludwig AI. It serves to indicate that something was demonstrated or revealed prior to a specific point in the past. Its usage spans across various contexts including News & Media, Science, and Academia. To ensure clarity and precision in your writing, use this past perfect passive construction to establish temporal relationships effectively, while being mindful of contexts where a simpler past tense might be more appropriate.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been demonstrated

Replaces 'shown' with 'demonstrated', emphasizing a clear and convincing proof.

had been proven

Substitutes 'shown' with 'proven', highlighting that something has been established as true.

had been confirmed

Substitutes 'shown' with 'confirmed', emphasizing the verification or validation of something.

had been revealed

Substitutes 'shown' with 'revealed', focusing on the unveiling or disclosure of information.

had been established

Replaces 'shown' with 'established', suggesting something has been firmly set or recognized.

had been indicated

Replaces 'shown' with 'indicated', suggesting a sign or hint of something.

had been presented

Replaces 'shown' with 'presented', indicating a formal introduction or offering.

had been displayed

Replaces 'shown' with 'displayed', emphasizing a visual presentation or exhibition.

had been exhibited

Substitutes 'shown' with 'exhibited', focusing on a public display or demonstration.

had been illustrated

Substitutes 'shown' with 'illustrated', focusing on a visual or descriptive explanation.

FAQs

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

Use "had been shown" to indicate that something was demonstrated or revealed before another action in the past. For example, "The results "had been shown" to the committee before the vote took place."

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

"Had been shown" indicates that the showing occurred before another point in the past, while "was shown" simply indicates an action that happened in the past. The past perfect emphasizes the completion of the action before another past event.

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

You can use alternatives like "had been demonstrated", "had been revealed", or "had been indicated" depending on the context.

Is "had been show" grammatically correct?

No, "had been show" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is ""had been shown"", using the past participle form of the verb 'show'.