Used and loved by millions
Since I tried Ludwig back in 2017, I have been constantly using it in both editing and translation. Ever since, I suggest it to my translators at ProSciEditing.

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
had not negotiated
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "had not negotiated" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that a negotiation did not take place in the past, often in a conditional or hypothetical context. Example: "If they had not negotiated the terms, the deal would have fallen through."
✓ Grammatically correct
News & Media
Alternative expressions(2)
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified examples from authoritative sources
Exact Expressions
22 human-written examples
Bush administration officials said they had not negotiated how the Chinese transcript would be handled.
News & Media
The company also expressed disappointment that Dollar Thrifty had not negotiated with Avis before agreeing to Hertz's revised bid.
News & Media
The union contends that it had not negotiated any provisions — and says the imposition of the contract was illegal.
News & Media
Opponents of the development said the city had not negotiated hard enough and argued for a delay.
News & Media
More broadly, however, the company had not negotiated the economic crisis anywhere like as well as it had claimed.
News & Media
So Queens Legal Services brought a successful action against the bank in State Supreme Court in Queens arguing that it had not negotiated in good faith.
News & Media
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
38 human-written examples
According to Rick Pfeiffer, a court reporter who covered Matt's trial for the now-defunct Tonawanda News, the U.S. government hadn't negotiated for Matt.
News & Media
By 11 o'clock, he was famished and tired, irritated that he hadn't negotiated to leave immediately after his 20-minute set.
News & Media
On March 30 , 1965(the contract expiration date) the printers & engravers hadn't negotiated a new contract with the publishers, but agreed to continue without a strike under Mayor Wagner's supervision.
News & Media
However, he hadn't negotiated access to the Fox News chief.
News & Media
Successful negotiations require a skilled - and large - team, but the UK has not negotiated a trade deal since 1973.
News & Media
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
Use "had not negotiated" to clearly indicate that a negotiation process did not occur before a specific point in the past. Ensure the context makes this temporal relationship clear.
Common error
Avoid using "had not negotiated" when simply stating that a negotiation is not currently happening. Use "did not negotiate" or "have not negotiated" instead to reflect the present or recent past.
Source & Trust
94%
Authority and reliability
4.5/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The phrase "had not negotiated" functions as a past perfect verb phrase, indicating that the action of negotiating did not occur before a specific point in the past. Ludwig examples confirm its use in reporting past events and states.
Frequent in
News & Media
97%
Science
1%
Formal & Business
1%
Less common in
Encyclopedias
0%
Wiki
0%
Reference
0%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
The phrase "had not negotiated" is a common and grammatically correct past perfect verb phrase used to indicate the absence of negotiation before a specific point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its frequent use in news and media, with a neutral register suitable for formal contexts. To ensure clarity, be mindful of the temporal relationship and avoid using it when describing a current lack of negotiation. Alternatives like "did not negotiate" or "failed to negotiate" may be appropriate depending on the intended nuance.
More alternative expressions(6)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
did not negotiate
Uses a simpler past tense form of the verb "negotiate".
failed to negotiate
Emphasizes the lack of success in achieving a negotiation.
never negotiated
Indicates that negotiation never occurred at any point.
did not come to terms
Focuses on the lack of agreement or settlement.
were unable to negotiate
Highlights the inability to reach a negotiation.
had no negotiation
Uses a noun form to express the absence of negotiation.
there was no negotiation
Emphasizes the non-existence of negotiation.
had not reached an agreement
Focuses on the absence of a final agreement.
did not bargain
Replaces "negotiate" with the synonym "bargain".
had not settled
Implies that no resolution was reached through discussion.
FAQs
How can I rephrase "had not negotiated" in a sentence?
Alternatives include "did not negotiate", "failed to negotiate", or "never negotiated", depending on the nuance you want to convey.
What's the difference between "did not negotiate" and "had not negotiated"?
"Did not negotiate" refers to a simple past action, while "had not negotiated" indicates that the negotiation didn't happen before a specific point in the past. The latter establishes a past-before-past relationship.
Is it ever correct to say "has not negotiated" instead of "had not negotiated"?
Yes, "has not negotiated" is correct when referring to a period leading up to the present. "Had not negotiated" refers to something that didn't happen before a specific time in the past.
When should I use "had not negotiated" instead of "did not negotiate"?
Use "had not negotiated" when you're discussing a past event and need to specify that the negotiation didn't occur before that event. For instance, "They couldn't finalize the deal because they "had not negotiated" the terms beforehand."
Editing plus AI, all in one place.
Stop switching between tools. Your AI writing partner for everything—polishing proposals, crafting emails, finding the right tone.
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
94%
Authority and reliability
4.5/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested