had contained

USAGE SUMMARY

"had contained" is a correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it in the past perfect tense. For example: "The package had contained a present for her birthday."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Chemotherapy had contained things for now.

The New York Times

They thought they had contained him.

The New York Times - Sports

The F.B.I. did not confirm that they had contained explosives.

The New York Times

The old building had contained Harley Earl's original design studios.

The New York Times

Firefighters had contained 35percentt of the blaze and got a break today as humidity rose.

The New York Times

British Columbia officials temporarily imposed infection control and quarantine measures that had contained the Toronto outbreak.

The New York Times - Science

Neighbors interviewed said none of the houses had contained Taliban or Al Qaeda officials.

The New York Times

"I can only assume the list we had contained an error," Mr. Leyland said.

The New York Times

A lawyer for Cheung said the company had contained no assets at the time of transfer.

The Guardian

Teixeira was safe at first, but Figgins had contained the threat.

The New York Times - Sports

It had contained the wrong dates for live appearances and incorrect information about remixes.

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had contained" to clearly indicate that something included or held something else at a specific point in the past before another event occurred. This helps establish a clear sequence of events.

Common error

Avoid using "had contained" when referring to present or future situations. "Had contained" is strictly past perfect. For present or future contexts, use "contains" or "will contain" instead.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "had contained" is to form the past perfect tense of the verb "contain". It indicates a state of holding or including something that existed before another point in the past. As seen in Ludwig's examples, it is used to describe a past state or condition.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

52%

Science

29%

Wiki

11%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Books

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had contained" is the past perfect tense of the verb "contain", used to indicate a prior state of holding or including something before another event in the past. Ludwig AI confirms it's a grammatically correct construction with common usage. It appears frequently in news, scientific, and general writing contexts, denoting a completed action. When using this phrase, ensure that the tense aligns with the timeline of events you're describing to avoid errors. Consider alternatives like "had included" or "had comprised" depending on the intended meaning. Understanding the subtle differences between these related phrases allows for more precise and effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had included

Indicates that something was part of a whole, similar to "had contained" in expressing inclusion, but lacks the sense of confinement or restriction.

had comprised

Similar to "had contained" in denoting what something consisted of, but emphasizes composition rather than enclosure.

had encompassed

Implies a broader scope of inclusion than "had contained", suggesting that something was surrounded or covered completely.

had incorporated

Suggests a deliberate act of including something as part of a larger entity, which is different from the inherent inclusion implied by "had contained".

had restricted

Focuses on the act of limiting or confining something, while "had contained" implies more of a passive holding.

had controlled

Emphasizes the management or regulation of something, differing from the simple act of holding or including.

had limited

Highlights the act of setting a boundary or restriction, unlike the more general sense of inclusion in "had contained".

had held

Focuses on the physical act of holding, which may or may not imply enclosure or inclusion.

had accommodated

Suggests providing space or facilities, differing from the sense of inherent inclusion in "had contained".

had suppressed

Implies forceful prevention or holding back, unlike the neutral inclusion of "had contained".

FAQs

How to use "had contained" in a sentence?

"Had contained" is used to describe something that included or held something else at a specific time in the past, before another action occurred. For example, "The box "had contained" a surprise gift before she opened it".

What can I say instead of "had contained"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "had included", "had comprised", or "had held". The best choice depends on the specific meaning you want to convey.

Which is correct, "had contained" or "contained"?

"Had contained" is past perfect, used to describe an action completed before another past action. "Contained" is simple past, describing a completed action in the past. The correct choice depends on the timeline of events you're describing.

What's the difference between "had contained" and "was containing"?

"Had contained" indicates a completed state of inclusion before another past event. "Was containing" indicates an ongoing action of containing in the past. For example, "The bottle "had contained" water before it was emptied", versus "The bottle "was containing" water when it fell".