had been solved

USAGE SUMMARY

"had been solved" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to indicate that something had been solved at some point in the past. Example: The mystery of who stole the jewels had been solved.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

I hoped that the mystery had been solved.

The New York Times

In January, Bastrykin announced that the case had been "solved".

The New Yorker

Finally, on December 1st, the police announced that the case had been solved.

The New Yorker

So when Bob mentioned Costco I felt that all my problems had been solved.

The New Yorker

And the three problems that engulfed him over the last few days had been solved.

The New York Times

A police officer told him that his mother's killing had been solved.

The New York Times - Sports

With that, the couple thought their problem with Wells had been solved.

The New York Times

For an hour, it appeared that the water dispute had been solved by a higher authority.

The New York Times

An engineer conceded that early models had this problem, but said that it had been solved.

The New York Times

After a year, many problems with Watson had been solved, but not the essential one.

The New Yorker

Parker conceded there had been "initial issues", but insisted these had been solved.

The Guardian - Business

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been solved" to clearly indicate that a problem was resolved at some point in the past and that the solving occurred before another point in time also in the past. This helps establish a clear sequence of events.

Common error

Avoid using "has been solved" when you want to emphasize that the solution occurred before a specific past event. "Has been solved" implies the solution is relevant to the present, while "had been solved" emphasizes a past resolution.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been solved" functions as the past perfect passive voice, indicating that a problem or mystery was resolved before a specific point in the past. This is supported by Ludwig, which demonstrates its usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Science

22%

Encyclopedias

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

4%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been solved" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to indicate that something was resolved before a specific point in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's common in various contexts, including News & Media, Science, and Encyclopedias. When writing, ensure you're using it to establish a clear sequence of events and avoid confusing it with "has been solved", which implies a present relevance. Using alternatives like "was resolved" or "was figured out" can add nuance to your writing depending on the intended emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was resolved

Focuses on the action of resolving, differing in tense and voice from the original phrase.

was figured out

Emphasizes the process of understanding or discovering the solution.

was addressed

Indicates that a problem was dealt with, though not necessarily fully resolved.

was clarified

Highlights the removal of confusion or ambiguity.

was decrypted

Implies that something unclear or encrypted was successfully interpreted

was unraveled

Suggests a complex situation being disentangled or solved.

came to a solution

Focuses on the arrival at a resolution.

reached a conclusion

Emphasizes the end point of a problem-solving process.

was settled

Implies a resolution that brings an end to a dispute or uncertainty.

was finalized

Suggests that the last steps have been taken to solve the problem.

FAQs

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

"Had been solved" indicates that something was resolved before a specific point in the past. For example, "By the time the police arrived, the mystery "had been solved" by the detective."

What are some alternatives to "had been solved"?

Alternatives include "was resolved", "was figured out", or "was addressed", depending on the specific context and nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "has been solved" instead of "had been solved"?

"Has been solved" is present perfect tense, indicating something solved recently and relevant now. "Had been solved" is past perfect, indicating something solved before another past action. The correct choice depends on context.

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

"Was solved" indicates a simple past action, while "had been solved" indicates an action completed before another action in the past. For example, "The problem was solved yesterday" vs "The problem "had been solved" before the meeting started."