had immediately started

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had immediately started" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that an action began right after a specific event in the past. Example: "After receiving the news, she had immediately started planning her response."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

I had immediately started coughing — chili fumes.

The New Yorker

He said American officials had been aware of the deaths and had immediately started an investigation.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Volunteer Brittani Gillis said she had immediately starting collecting clothes, food and toiletries when she heard about the floods, telling a local paper: "We've been through it, and we know what it's like".

The Guardian

"This has immediately started to bite.

The Guardian

The team should have immediately started thinking about how to adjust.

The Guardian - Sport

The associate director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Jonathan Orcutt, said the city should have timed the closing of Fresh Kills so it would have immediately started with a rail- and barge-based export system.

The New York Times

Mr. Schröder also denounced the abuse of prisoners, but he commended the Bush administration's response, saying, "It speaks for the strength of American democracy how they have immediately started getting to the bottom of this".

The New York Times

"Typically in our market, developers come in and wait for a tenant to make a commitment before going into the ground," said Paul M. Jacobs, an executive vice president in the Stamford office of CBRE who is representing the project, "but this time, the owner has immediately started rebuilding even before he has a tenant".

The New York Times

"I'm sure that whoever the Democratic nominee was going to be would have preferred that the announcement to occur the day after the governor-elect's election," conceded Mr. Rothman, who represents parts of Bergen and Hudson County, "so he or she could have immediately started raising money and the campaign.

The New York Times

As a matter of urgency, we have immediately started an investigation into all aspects of this case". Scotland Yard, Surrey and West Yorkshire police also confirmed that they were studying the list, and the Association of Chief Police Officers said it expected every other force to follow suit.

The Guardian

He said the four Welsh commissioners "despite their political range (two Independents, one Conservative, one Labour and Co-operative) have immediately started to work together on Wales-wide issues, with some excellent and fruitful meetings with Welsh government".

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had immediately started" to clearly convey that one action directly followed another in the past, emphasizing the lack of delay between them. This is particularly effective in narrative or descriptive writing where timing is important.

Common error

Avoid using "had immediately started" in constructions that lead to passive voice. Reword the sentence to emphasize the actor and the action. For example, instead of "The investigation had immediately started by the police", write "The police had immediately started the investigation".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had immediately started" functions as a past perfect verb phrase, indicating that an action began without delay in the past, prior to another point in time. This perfect tense construction helps to emphasize the sequence of events.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Encyclopedias

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Academia

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had immediately started" is a grammatically sound past perfect construction used to describe an action beginning promptly after another in the past. According to Ludwig AI, its usage is correct and suitable for conveying a sense of urgency or direct sequence. While "had immediately started" is versatile, consider more formal alternatives like "commenced without delay" for professional contexts, or informal options such as "started instantly" for casual settings. Be mindful of using it passively; emphasizing the actor often makes for stronger writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

started instantly

Emphasizes the instantaneous nature of the start.

began at once

Replaces "immediately started" with a more concise expression.

initiated promptly

Highlights the quick initiation of the action.

commenced without delay

Formal alternative, emphasizing the lack of delay.

launched right away

Suggests a vigorous and immediate commencement.

jumped into action

Informal phrase highlighting the enthusiasm and speed of starting.

picked up at once

Implies a resumption or continuation that began immediately.

acted on it without hesitation

Focuses on the decisiveness and lack of wavering before starting.

proceeded forthwith

A formal and somewhat archaic way of saying 'started immediately'.

moved forward without delay

Emphasizes forward movement and progress in a situation.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "had immediately started" to sound more formal?

Consider using phrases such as "commenced without delay", or "initiated promptly". These alternatives, while similar in meaning, carry a more formal tone than "had immediately started".

What's a more casual way to say "had immediately started"?

You could say "started instantly" or "jumped into action". These options are less formal and better suited for conversational contexts.

Is there a difference between "had immediately started" and "immediately started"?

"Had immediately started" implies a completed action in the past relative to another past event, while "immediately started" could refer to an action that began and is still ongoing or is more generally true. Using "had" situates the starting point firmly in the past.

When is it best to use "had immediately started" in writing?

Use "had immediately started" when you need to emphasize the sequence of two past events, highlighting that the second action began right after the first one. It's effective for creating a sense of urgency or direct consequence.