had been sustaining

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been sustaining" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an ongoing action or state that was happening in the past before another event occurred. Example: "She had been sustaining her efforts to improve the project until the funding was cut."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

The magazine has almost always lost money, and for the previous five years a small team of wealthy friends of the magazine had been sustaining it.

The New Yorker

And lately, sales have been gradually slowing at dealerships across the country despite the Federal Reserve's interest rate reductions that had been sustaining car purchases.

The New York Times

If that goal came out of nowhere the second was even more surprising.. Arsenal had been sustaining some rather blunt pressure and Mohamed Diame hacked a corner away upfield.

Independent

The money may also indirectly help labs that don't win their own grants by freeing up university-provided bridge funding that had been sustaining winners, Stephan adds.

Science Magazine

On this basis, the runner lost ∼5 min during the last 7 km compared to the pace he had been sustaining over the first 35 km.

Plosone

With no money to buy formula milk, he had been sustaining his daughter with sugar-water ever since his wife died from complications that arose during childbirth.

Unicef

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Even if this objection had been sustained, the difficulty could have been easily obviated by amendment.

Cornell University

"He trained well, pretty well," Del Bosque said of Fábregas, an x-ray having revealed that no fracture had been sustained.

The Guardian - Sport

He added it was believed no injuries had been sustained.

BBC

The business had been sustained by generations of beekeepers in Danny's family since 1888.

Duke University

Abuse episodes were relatively recent and had been sustained over time for the majority of women.

Global Health Action

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been sustaining" to clearly indicate that an action of supporting or maintaining was ongoing in the past before another event or time. This helps establish a clear timeline for your reader.

Common error

Avoid using "had been sustaining" when the simple past tense is more appropriate. If the sustaining action isn't directly related to another past event, "sustained" might be clearer and more concise.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been sustaining" functions as a past perfect progressive verb phrase. It describes an action that was ongoing for a period of time before another action or point in time in the past. Ludwig AI confirms the grammatical correctness and usability of the phrase.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

16%

Academia

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

16%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had been sustaining" is a grammatically correct and usable past perfect progressive verb phrase that describes an ongoing action of supporting or maintaining something before a specific point in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for various contexts, though it appears most frequently in news and media, science, academia and formal business settings. While "had been maintaining", "had been supporting", and "had been preserving" can be alternatives depending on the context, it's important to avoid overuse in simple past contexts, where "sustained" might be more appropriate. It is important to clearly define the timeline of past events.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been maintaining

Focuses more on keeping something in its current state rather than actively supporting it.

had been supporting

Emphasizes the provision of resources or assistance to keep something going.

had been upholding

Suggests a more active role in defending or preserving something, often a principle or law.

had been preserving

Highlights the act of keeping something safe from harm or decay.

had been fueling

Implies providing the necessary resources or energy to keep something active or growing.

had been nurturing

Suggests a more caring and developmental approach to supporting something.

had been fostering

Emphasizes creating a positive environment for something to grow or develop.

had been bolstering

Focuses on strengthening or reinforcing something that is already in place.

had been underpinning

Highlights the foundational support that something provides.

had been propping up

Implies providing temporary or artificial support to prevent something from failing.

FAQs

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

Use "had been sustaining" to describe a past action that continued for a period of time before another action or event occurred. For example: "The company "had been sustaining" losses until the new CEO arrived".

What are some alternatives to "had been sustaining"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "had been maintaining", "had been supporting", or "had been preserving".

When should I use "had been sustaining" instead of "sustained"?

Use "had been sustaining" when you want to emphasize the continuous nature of the support or maintenance leading up to a specific point in the past. Use "sustained" for a completed action in the past.

Is "had been sustaining" formal or informal?

The phrase "had been sustaining" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its appropriateness depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and the overall tone of the writing.