had been submitted

USAGE SUMMARY

"had been submitted" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to indicate when an action was done in the past and has been completed. For example, "The application had been submitted and was being reviewed by the committee."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Mr. Leahy's office confirmed that the slip had been submitted.

The New York Times

A mayoral spokeswoman said yesterday that the application had been submitted properly.

The New York Times

By Sunday evening, only a handful of objections had been submitted.

The New York Times

As of yesterday, 13,136 applications had been submitted for next month's test.

The New York Times

She added that Siemens's new technology had been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration.

The New York Times - Health

More than 300 had been submitted to the American Arbitration Association as of 6 p.m. Thursday.

The New York Times - Sports

By 1 p.m. Tuesday, 300 applications had been submitted, said Kevin Ramsey, the school's director of communications.

The New York Times

As of yesterday, 486 aborted or stillborn fetuses and foals had been submitted to the center since April 28.

The New York Times - Sports

Police Scotland said on Tuesday that a report had been submitted to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (Copfs).

The Guardian

Because the Nato HQ in Sarajevo said the request for close air support had been submitted on the wrong form.

Independent

President Vladimir V. Putin's press secretary, Dmitri S. Peskov, said he did not know whether the request had been submitted.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been submitted" to clearly indicate that an action of submitting something occurred and was completed at a specific point in the past, especially when providing context for a subsequent event. For example, "The report had been submitted before the deadline, so it was included in the review."

Common error

Avoid using "has been submitted" when referring to an action completed in the past if the specific timing or prior context is relevant. "Has been submitted" implies relevance to the present, while "had been submitted" situates the action firmly in the past.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been submitted" functions as a past perfect passive construction, indicating that an action of submitting was completed before a specific point in the past. Ludwig AI validates this usage, confirming its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Science

49%

Encyclopedias

2%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been submitted" is a grammatically correct and very common past perfect passive construction used to indicate that a submission occurred before a specific time in the past, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It is frequently used in news, media, and scientific contexts to provide historical context and establish a sequence of events. To ensure correct usage, avoid confusing it with "has been submitted", which has a present relevance. Consider alternatives like "was filed" or "was presented" depending on the context. By following these guidelines, you can confidently use "had been submitted" in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was filed

Suggests a more official or legal context, implying the lodging of a document with an authority.

was lodged

Implies a formal placement or deposit, often with an official body.

was handed in

Emphasizes the physical act of delivering something, often used in educational or less formal settings.

was turned in

Similar to "was handed in", but can also imply revealing someone or something, depending on context.

was presented

Focuses on the act of presenting rather than the act of submitting, implying a more formal introduction.

was tendered

Suggests a formal offer or proposal, often in a business or legal setting.

was registered

Highlights the act of recording something officially.

was forwarded

Indicates the act of passing something on to another person or department.

was delivered

Focuses on the act of conveying something to a destination or recipient.

was referred

Implies that something was directed to a specific person or authority for further action.

FAQs

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

Use "had been submitted" to indicate that an action of submitting something occurred and was completed at a specific time in the past, often to provide context for a subsequent event. For example: "The application "had been submitted" weeks before the review process began."

What's the difference between "has been submitted" and "had been submitted"?

"Has been submitted" implies that the action of submitting is recent and still relevant to the present. "Had been submitted" indicates that the action was completed at a specific point in the past and is no longer directly relevant to the present situation. It provides a past context.

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

You can use alternatives like "was filed", "was handed in", or "was presented" depending on the context.

Is "had been submit" grammatically correct?

No, "had been submit" is grammatically incorrect. The correct past participle form of "submit" is "submitted". Therefore, the correct phrase is ""had been submitted"".