had ceased that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had ceased that" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to express that something has stopped or ended, but the construction is awkward and lacks clarity. Example: "He had ceased that behavior after realizing its consequences."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

She was previously on warfarin and they had ceased that.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

By late 2001, Connecticut had ceased using that prison and begun shifting prisoners to the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va.

The New York Times

"Local opinion is that police officers, being aware that monitoring had ceased, felt that the system was less effective and incidents/crimes were less likely to have been recorded," George says.

The Guardian

Besides, the decrease in Fv/Fm and the increase in AZ/VAZ were not reversible after treatment had ceased, indicating that the stress was probably beyond the lethal threshold for a cool water macroalga.

BMC Plant Biology

Return of the Rebel Flag, a symbol that had ceased to exist until the 1960s.

Huffington Post

Journals that had ceased publication after January 2006 were included only if sufficient information was still available online.

Plosone

After identification and deletion of companies that had ceased business during 2000 or 2001, the database was updated.

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

But I think even they had ceased quite believing that the postcards showed the same city.

The New York Times

In late April 2014, after production for season twelve had ceased, Cedric announced that he was not returning for a second season.

Wikipedia

Osborn was quick to see that science had ceased to be solitary.

The New Yorker

He said that the fighting had ceased today and he denied that there had been any casualties.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of using the awkward phrase "had ceased that", opt for clearer and more common alternatives like "had stopped doing that" or "had discontinued that practice" to ensure better understanding.

Common error

Avoid using "had ceased that" in formal writing; its unusual construction can confuse readers. Simplify your sentences by choosing direct and familiar verbs like 'stop', 'end', or 'discontinue' followed by a clear object.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had ceased that" functions as a verb phrase intended to indicate the termination of something previously done or in effect. However, the construction is considered grammatically awkward. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's not a standard or recommended usage.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "had ceased that" is grammatically understandable, it is not considered correct due to its awkward and uncommon construction. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is not standard English. It is better to use alternatives such as "had stopped doing that", "had discontinued that practice", or "had ended that activity" for clearer and more effective communication. These alternatives are more direct and ensure better understanding in both formal and informal contexts. Given its rarity and grammatical concerns, it is best to avoid using "had ceased that" in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had stopped doing that

This alternative replaces 'ceased' with 'stopped' to provide a more common and clearer way to express the action of discontinuing something.

had discontinued that practice

This phrase substitutes 'ceased' with 'discontinued' and adds 'practice' to clarify the context of the action being stopped.

had ended that activity

This version replaces 'ceased' with 'ended' and 'that' with 'activity' to offer a more explicit description of what was terminated.

had terminated that process

Using 'terminated' instead of 'ceased' adds a more formal tone, and 'process' replaces 'that' to denote a specific procedure.

had abandoned that endeavor

Here, 'abandoned' replaces 'ceased' and 'endeavor' replaces 'that', implying a complete and possibly reluctant discontinuation of an effort.

had relinquished that responsibility

This alternative substitutes 'ceased' with 'relinquished' and 'that' with 'responsibility', indicating the giving up of a duty or task.

had desisted from that action

Using 'desisted' instead of 'ceased' provides a more formal and somewhat archaic tone, while 'action' replaces 'that' for clarity.

had refrained from that behavior

This phrase replaces 'ceased' with 'refrained' and 'that' with 'behavior', suggesting a conscious effort to avoid a particular conduct.

had given up on that

This alternative uses a phrasal verb 'given up on' to replace 'ceased', providing a more colloquial way to express the action of abandoning something.

had stopped doing it

This simplifies the original phrase to a more concise and informal expression, replacing 'ceased that' with 'stopped doing it'.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to "had ceased that"?

You can use phrases such as "had stopped doing that", "had discontinued that practice", or "had ended that activity".

Is "had ceased that" grammatically correct?

While the individual words are grammatically sound, the phrase "had ceased that" is awkward and not commonly used. It's better to use clearer alternatives like "had stopped doing that".

How can I use "had ceased that" in a sentence?

It's generally recommended to avoid using "had ceased that" due to its awkwardness. However, if you must, ensure the context is very clear. For example, instead of "He had ceased that", consider "He had ceased that behavior".

What's the difference between "had ceased that" and "had stopped that"?

"Had stopped that" is a more direct and commonly used phrase. "Had ceased that" is less common and can sound awkward, making "had stopped that" a better choice for clarity.