had earlier started

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had earlier started" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that an action began at a previous time before another action or event. Example: "The team had earlier started the project before the new guidelines were introduced."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Rosberg, who had earlier started a rendition of Queen's We are the Champions to the delight of his cheering audience, told Hamilton: "If you're looking for a German teacher, call me up, as I'm looking for a job".

The Guardian - Sport

The race had earlier started under safety car conditions after a heavy downpour on Sunday morning as storms that preceded the approaching typhoon Phanfone hit Suzuka.

BBC

The Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper  claim Ceara fans, who had seen their side win 1-0, had earlier started a fight by throwing stones at Fortaleza supporters in an attack which happened around three miles from the stadium.

BBC

The dad behind me, who had earlier started a "KOBE!" chant that hadn't caught on, yelled "Yeah!

Vice

This may have excluded from our study early statin users in the background population with a strong medical indication for statins, and subjects who had earlier started and then entirely discontinued statins due to adverse events or lack of effect.

Clinical Epidemiology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

According to these data, the patient group was sub-classified into: 16 patients (53.3%) who had early starting degree of entrapment, while 14 patients (46.7%) had mild degree of entrapment.

The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery

TBS, which has the rights to this year's National League Championship Series, said it was considering a change, but its games already had earlier start times.

The New York Times

The late Stone Age may have had an earlier start in Africa than previously thought — by some 20,000 years.

Huffington Post

Eight patients in our study had early disease progression, before starting chemotherapy.

British Journal of Cancer

Dr. Axel grew up in Brooklyn, so he may have had an early start in his research.

The New York Times

"Because Mars is smaller, it cooled faster, so it may have had an early start," he says.

Science Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had earlier started", ensure the context clearly establishes a sequence of events where the starting action precedes another. This provides clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "had earlier started" when the context already implies a prior start. For example, instead of saying 'The project had earlier started before the deadline,' simply say 'The project had started before the deadline' to avoid redundancy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had earlier started" functions as a past perfect verb phrase indicating that an action or event began at some point before another action in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's a correct and usable construction.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had earlier started" is a grammatically sound phrase used to indicate that an action began before another action in the past. While Ludwig AI confirms its correctness, it's relatively rare, primarily appearing in News & Media and Scientific contexts. When using this phrase, ensure that the context clearly benefits from emphasizing the sequential order of events to avoid redundancy. Consider alternatives such as ""had previously commenced"" or ""had already initiated"" depending on the level of formality desired.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had started before

A simplified version using 'before' instead of 'earlier', maintaining the core meaning.

had previously commenced

Replaces 'earlier' with 'previously' and 'started' with 'commenced', altering the tone to sound more formal.

had initiated previously

Replaces 'earlier' with 'previously' and 'started' with 'initiated', suggesting a formal beginning.

had already initiated

Uses 'already' to highlight that the action was initiated before the reference point, and replaces 'started' with 'initiated'.

had initiated beforehand

Combines 'initiated' with 'beforehand' for a slightly more formal tone emphasizing the prior initiation.

had begun beforehand

Substitutes 'earlier' with 'beforehand' and 'started' with 'begun', emphasizing the prior nature of the action.

had formerly begun

Replaces 'earlier' with 'formerly' and 'started' with 'begun', adding a sense of something done in the past but not necessarily recently.

had commenced at an earlier time

Expands the phrase to explicitly state 'at an earlier time', clarifying the temporal aspect.

had gotten an early start

Focuses on the 'early' aspect, suggesting a proactive beginning to something.

had pre-started

Uses 'pre-started' as a concise way to indicate starting in advance or beforehand.

FAQs

How can I use "had earlier started" in a sentence?

Use "had earlier started" to show that an action began before another action or event in the past. Example: "The investigation "had earlier started" before the evidence was discovered."

What are some alternatives to "had earlier started"?

Alternatives include "had previously commenced", "had begun beforehand", or "had already initiated". The best choice depends on the specific context and desired level of formality.

Is "had earlier started" redundant?

It can be redundant if the context already implies that the action began before another. In such cases, using just "had started" might be sufficient.

What is the difference between "had earlier started" and "had recently started"?

"Had earlier started" implies the action began at some unspecified time in the past, while "had recently started" indicates the action began not long ago.