had been turned

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been turned" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in the past perfect tense to indicate that an action was completed before another action in the past. Example: "By the time we arrived, the lights had been turned off."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

She had been turned down.

The New Yorker

The tables had been turned.

The New Yorker

Just one had been turned down.

The Economist

The television had been turned off.

The New York Times - Style

It had been turned down a lot".

The Guardian

An unpleasant corner had been turned.

The New York Times

All of them had been turned away.

The New York Times

The light in the front room had been turned out.

The New Yorker

Several artists before them had been turned down as unsuitable.

The New Yorker

Language itself had been turned on its head.

The Economist

The lights in Barbro Ekman's apartment had been turned on.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been turned" to clearly indicate that an action of turning something was completed before a specific time in the past. For example, "The lights had been turned off before we arrived."

Common error

Avoid using "had been turned" when an active voice is more appropriate and direct. For instance, instead of "The decision had been turned down by the committee", a clearer alternative might be "The committee turned down the decision."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been turned" functions as the past perfect passive voice, indicating that an action was completed before another action in the past. This is supported by Ludwig AI, which validates its grammatical correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Science

10%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been turned" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase that serves to indicate a completed action in the past perfect passive voice. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and broad applicability. Its presence across varied contexts, from turning off lights to the rejection of applications, highlights its versatility in writing. While suitable for formal writing, it also appears in everyday contexts. The predominant context is news and media.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been switched

Focuses on a change in state, specifically referring to the operation of turning something on or off.

had been altered

Implies a change in form or characteristics.

had been modified

Suggests a change made to improve or adapt something.

had been transformed

Indicates a significant change in nature or appearance.

had been converted

Signifies a change in purpose or function.

had been rejected

Indicates a negative outcome where something was refused.

had been denied

Similar to rejected, but often used in more formal contexts.

had been refused

Directly indicates that something was not allowed.

had been inverted

Suggests something was turned upside down or reversed.

had been overturned

Indicates that something was reversed or abolished.

FAQs

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

It's used in the past perfect passive tense to show an action of turning something was completed before another past action. Example: "The page "had been turned" before I could read it."

What are some alternatives to "had been turned"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "had been switched", "had been altered", or "had been transformed".

Is it correct to say "was turned" instead of "had been turned"?

While "was turned" is grammatically correct, it's in the simple past passive tense. "Had been turned" is used when you want to emphasize that the action occurred before another point in the past. The choice depends on the specific timeline you want to convey.

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

"Was turned off" indicates a single event in the past. "Had been turned off" indicates that the turning off happened before another event in the past. For example, "The lights "had been turned off" before we got home."