had gone away

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had gone away" is correct and usable in written English.
This phrase is in the past perfect tense, which is used to refer to something that happened before a certain point in the past. For example: "By the time I reached the party, my friends had already gone away."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Apparently her husband had gone away.

The New Yorker

Then the natives had gone away.

The New Yorker

The underwear lady had gone away.

The New York Times

Even the man on the phone had gone away.

The New Yorker

After they'd settled in, Fina and Manolo had gone away.

The New Yorker

Her mother had gone away for the weekend.

The New Yorker

Now the sounds of conflict had gone away.

The Guardian

That didn't mean, though, that the complexities of the abortion debate had gone away.

The New Yorker

"It would have left a huge hole in our little community if we had gone away".

The New York Times

The old man had died, his second wife had gone away, the young couple had moved.

The New Yorker

"Who the hell was that?" Lean asked, when she had gone away.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had gone away", ensure the context clearly establishes the point in the past to which the 'had' refers. For example: "By the time the police arrived, the suspect had already gone away".

Common error

Avoid using "had gone away" when a simple past tense ("went away") is sufficient. The past perfect is needed only when referring to an action completed before another point in the past.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had gone away" functions as a past perfect verb phrase. It indicates an action (going away) that was completed before another action or point in time in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

72%

Formal & Business

14%

Science

7%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Reference

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had gone away" is a grammatically sound and very common past perfect verb phrase used to indicate a completed departure before a specific point in the past. According to Ludwig AI, it's perfectly usable in English. It's most frequently found in news and media contexts, but also appears in formal business writing and scientific articles, thus maintaining a neutral tone. While "had left" provides a simple alternative, variations like "had disappeared" or "had departed" can add nuances depending on the intended meaning. Remember to use the past perfect tense accurately to avoid tense errors.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had left

A simpler and more direct way of saying "had gone away".

had departed

Uses a more formal synonym for "gone".

had disappeared

Emphasizes the sudden or mysterious nature of the departure.

had vanished

Suggests a complete and often inexplicable disappearance.

had withdrawn

Implies a deliberate removal or retreat.

had exited

A formal term indicating departure.

had cleared out

Suggests a thorough and complete emptying of a space.

had moved on

Indicates a transition or progression to a new phase or location.

had passed on

Often used as a euphemism for death, implying a departure from life.

had absconded

Implies a secret and hurried departure, often to avoid detection.

FAQs

How to use "had gone away" in a sentence?

Use "had gone away" to describe an action completed before another action in the past. For instance, "By the time I arrived, she "had gone away" already".

What can I say instead of "had gone away"?

You can use alternatives like "had left", "had departed", or "had disappeared" depending on the specific context.

Which is correct, "had gone away" or "went away"?

"Had gone away" is used in the past perfect tense, indicating an action completed before another action in the past. "Went away" is the simple past tense. Choose the correct tense based on the context of your sentence.

What's the difference between "had gone away" and "had been away"?

"Had gone away" implies a departure or disappearance. "Had been away" indicates a period of absence and return is expected or implied. For example, "He "had gone away", and no one knew where" vs. "He "had been away" for a week on business".