had been survived

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been survived" is not correct and usable in written English.
It is a grammatically incorrect construction as "survived" is typically used in the active voice and does not fit with "had been" in this context. Example: "He had survived the accident."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Although Hidetada was shogun, that did not necessarily settle the question of rightful authority, because Hideyoshi had been survived by a son, Hideyori; and, even as he was growing up in his great castle at Ōsaka, the boy gradually acquired more warrior followers and began to appear as a real threat to Tokugawa legitimacy.

Encyclopedia Britannica

On his left ankle was strapped a black Velcro holster with a.380 eight-shot semiautomatic, and as he described how the memory of Richie Glennon's murder came to him on the way to his medical checkup he told me that Glennon's girlfriend had never married, and McGinn had been survived by a wife and four young children, who lived in the suburbs.

The New Yorker

Glennon's girlfriend had never married; McGinn had been survived by a wife and four young children.

Los Angeles Times

It turned out that O'Keefe's video had been edited to remove an interaction between a poll worker and Veritas "investigator" indicating that Michael Bolton -- the deceased voter in question -- had been survived by his son, Michael Bolton , Jr

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

They had been surviving on takeout food and muffins.

The New York Times

She later told police that she had been surviving on tea and bread.

The Guardian

[Daily News] A woman who had been surviving on a ventilator died after power failed in a Bronx rehabilitation center.

The New York Times

The university had closed, and since the bombardments of the city by the pro-Qaddafi forces, they had been surviving with help from Libyan neighbors.

The New York Times

For the past two weeks the crew had been surviving on powdered supplements after running out of food, so all four said they were looking forward to "solid food".

BBC

My emaciated body had been surviving on carrots and Coke Light, yet felt gigantic and punishable.

Huffington Post

Until that point, Israel had been surviving on a diet of dextrose, or sugar, according to his mother. .

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "had been survived" in your writing. Instead, use the active voice construction "was survived by" to clearly indicate who outlived whom.

Common error

Do not use the passive construction "had been survived" when you mean to say that someone was outlived by another. Always use "was survived by" to maintain clarity and grammatical correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been survived" is an attempt at using the passive perfect construction, but it is grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI points out, "survived" is typically used in the active voice. The correct passive construction would be "was survived by."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Encyclopedias

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been survived" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided. As Ludwig AI states, the correct form is "was survived by", which clearly indicates who outlived whom. While there are a few examples of its use, primarily in news and encyclopedia contexts, this does not validate the phrase's correctness. Always opt for the grammatically sound alternative, "was survived by", to ensure clarity and accuracy in your writing. Using correct grammar enhances credibility and ensures effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was survived by

Similar meaning, but grammatically correct.

was outlived by

Focuses on who remained alive after someone's death.

left behind

Emphasizes what someone left after their passing.

had descendants

Emphasizes the lineage continuing after someone.

was inherited by

Focuses on who received something after someone's death.

had heirs

Focuses on those legally entitled to inherit.

had successors

Highlights those who followed in a role or position.

was superseded by

Highlights being replaced or succeeded.

was lived through

Highlights the experience of enduring a difficult time or situation

endured past

Simple rewording focusing on persistence beyond an event.

FAQs

What's a grammatically correct alternative to "had been survived"?

A grammatically correct alternative is "was survived by", which uses the correct passive voice construction to indicate who outlived whom.

How can I use "was survived by" in a sentence?

For example, instead of saying "The queen had been survived by her son", say "The queen was survived by her son", indicating her son lived longer.

What does it mean when someone "was survived by" another?

It means the person mentioned first died before the person mentioned after "was survived by". The second person outlived the first.

Is "had been survived" ever correct?

No, "had been survived" is not a standard or grammatically correct construction in English. It's best to use alternatives like "was survived by".