had interviewed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had interviewed" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate that an interview took place before another event in the past. Example: "By the time the committee made their decision, I had interviewed several candidates for the position."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

No one had interviewed them.

The New Yorker

He had interviewed people in Moscow.

The New Yorker

Archer said police had interviewed witnesses and were investigating.

Independent

They had interviewed 700 witnesses and reviewed countless documents.

The New York Times

She had interviewed LaDue for two and a half hours.

The New Yorker

Showalter had interviewed with the Mets and the Cubs.

The New York Times - Sports

Mr. Tyre had interviewed with Accenture, formerly Andersen Consulting.

The New York Times

"I had interviewed him before he went to jail.

The Guardian - Arts

An earlier version said Alistair Webster QC had interviewed complainants.

The Guardian

He declined to say whether federal prosecutors had interviewed him.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

On Friday, Mark Messier confirmed that he had interviewed for the Rangers' coaching job.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had interviewed" to clearly establish that the interview occurred before another past action or time. This helps maintain a clear timeline in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "had interviewed" when a simple past tense ("interviewed") is sufficient. Use the past perfect only when it's crucial to show that the interview preceded another event.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had interviewed" functions as a past perfect verb phrase. It indicates an action (interviewing) completed at some point before another action in the past. Ludwig examples show its use in various narrative and reporting contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

88%

Science

6%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had interviewed" is a past perfect verb phrase used to indicate that an interview occurred before another event in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and prevalence, particularly in journalistic and formal writing. While the simple past tense "interviewed" may often suffice, "had interviewed" is useful for clarifying the sequence of events. Examples from Ludwig indicate that it is most commonly used in News & Media and Science sources. Consider alternatives like "conducted an interview with" depending on context. As such, it's important to use "had interviewed" to clearly establish a past sequence of actions in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

conducted an interview with

Replaces the simple past perfect with a more formal verb construction using "conducted".

spoken with

More general term, suggesting a conversation occurred without specifying a formal interview.

held discussions with

Implies a series of conversations, often more formal or in-depth than a single interview.

questioned

Focuses on the act of asking questions, often in an investigative context.

interrogated

Suggests a more aggressive or formal questioning, typically by authorities.

gathered information from

Emphasizes the collection of data, which may include interviews but isn't limited to them.

obtained insights from

Highlights gaining understanding or knowledge through interaction.

consulted with

Implies seeking advice or expertise through conversation.

examined

Suggests a thorough investigation or inspection, potentially involving interviews.

investigated

Broader term indicating an inquiry or examination, where interviewing might be a component.

FAQs

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

Use "had interviewed" to indicate an action of interviewing that was completed before another action in the past. For example, "By the time the report was published, the journalist "had interviewed" all key witnesses."

What are some alternatives to "had interviewed"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "conducted an interview with", "spoken with", or "held discussions with".

Is it always necessary to use "had interviewed" or is "interviewed" sometimes better?

Use "had interviewed" only when you need to emphasize that the interviewing happened before another point in the past. If the sequence is clear from context, "interviewed" is often sufficient.

What's the difference between "had interviewed" and "interviewed"?

"Had interviewed" is in the past perfect tense, indicating an action completed before another action in the past. "Interviewed" is in the simple past tense, indicating a completed action at a specific time in the past. If you already mention an event in the past you should use "had interviewed".