had informed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had informed" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate that someone provided information in the past, often before another past event. Example: "She had informed the team about the changes before the meeting started."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Our informer, as usual, had informed both ways," lamented one British officer.

The Washington Post

He had informed you?

The Guardian

Mr. Ma later said that he had informed the board.

The New York Times

The Newells had informed few of the pregnancy.

The New York Times - Health

A native, she said, had informed her of the fact.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

He even knew the men who had informed upon him.

The New York Times - Arts

Ryanair maintained it had informed police of its intentions.

The Guardian - Business

But no one had informed Armani, a couture débutant.

The New Yorker

"We're not gay," they had informed Ann sincerely one day.

The New Yorker

The journalist had informed the F.B.I. of that communication.

The New York Times

Blockbuster, based in Dallas, said it had informed customers adequately.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had informed", ensure the timeline of events is clear; it indicates an action completed before another past action. For example: "She "had informed" the authorities before the incident occurred."

Common error

Avoid using "had informed" when a simple past tense is sufficient. Overusing the past perfect can make your writing sound overly formal or convoluted. Instead of "He "had informed" me yesterday", use "He informed me yesterday."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had informed" functions as a past perfect verb phrase. It indicates that the action of informing occurred and was completed before another point in the past. Ludwig AI provides numerous examples demonstrating its use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Science

5%

Reference

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had informed" is a past perfect verb phrase correctly used to indicate that the action of informing occurred before another event in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and frequent use across different contexts, particularly in News & Media and Academic writing. While alternatives like "had notified" or "had communicated" exist, "had informed" is effective in clearly sequencing past events. Remember to use this phrase when highlighting the completion of informing before another past action, avoiding overuse to maintain clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had notified

This alternative focuses on the act of giving official notice.

had briefed

This implies giving a concise summary of information.

had communicated

This is a more general term for conveying information, not necessarily with specific details.

had apprised

This implies providing someone with specific and often crucial details.

had updated

This focuses on providing the latest information.

had advised

This implies giving counsel or a recommendation alongside the information.

had disclosed

This suggests revealing previously unknown or confidential information.

had told

This is a more informal and direct way of saying "had informed".

had enlightened

This emphasizes clarifying or increasing someone's understanding.

had acquainted

This suggests making someone aware or familiar with a particular fact or situation.

FAQs

How do I use "had informed" in a sentence?

Use "had informed" to describe an action of informing that was completed before another action in the past. For example: "By the time I arrived, she "had informed" everyone of the change."

What can I say instead of "had informed"?

You can use alternatives like "had notified", "had communicated", or "had told" depending on the context.

What is the difference between "had informed" and "informed"?

"Had informed" is the past perfect tense, used to indicate an action completed before another past action. "Informed" is the simple past tense, indicating an action that happened at a specific time in the past. Use "had informed" when you want to emphasize the sequence of past events.

Is it correct to say "has informed" instead of "had informed"?

No, "has informed" is present perfect and cannot be used to describe events completed in the past before another event. "Had informed" is the correct past perfect tense.