had not yet

USAGE SUMMARY

'had not yet' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something did not occur before a certain point in time. For example, "He had not yet finished his studies when he moved to a different country."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He had not yet spoken.

The New Yorker

Firemen had not yet arrived.

The New Yorker

The appetizer course had not yet arrived.

The New Yorker

(Video cameras had not yet been invented).

The New Yorker

Facebook had not yet been founded.

Independent

Porter had not yet entered the story.

The New Yorker

They had not yet played a game.

The New York Times - Sports

Terry had not yet grown into himself.

The New York Times - Sports

The book had not yet been published.

The New Yorker

Recovery centers had not yet opened.

The New York Times

Walter Winchell had not yet discovered America.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had not yet" to clearly establish the sequence of events, emphasizing that something was pending or unfulfilled before a specific time. For example: "The details of the agreement "had not yet" been finalized when the announcement was made."

Common error

Avoid using "had not yet" with simple past tense in the same clause. For instance, avoid writing "He had not yet finished when she arrived". A better construction would be "He "had not yet" finished when she arrived" or "He did not finish until she arrived".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had not yet" functions as an auxiliary verb phrase used to indicate that an action or event did not occur before a specific point in the past. It establishes a temporal sequence, highlighting that something was pending or unfulfilled. Ludwig examples showcase its versatile usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

69%

Science

14%

Wiki

2%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had not yet" is a versatile auxiliary verb phrase used to express that an action or event didn't occur before a specific point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability in various writing styles. While it is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, it is most frequently used in news and media. Pay attention to tense sequencing to avoid common errors, and consider alternative phrases like "had not previously" or "had not until then" for subtle variations in meaning. Using "had not yet" effectively helps to clarify the timeline of events in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had not at that time

Emphasizes the specific point in time before which the action did not occur.

had not previously

Highlights that the action was not done before the mentioned event.

had not until then

Stresses the duration until the point when the action finally occurred.

had still not

Adds a sense of expectation or surprise that the action did not happen.

had not as of yet

Adds a formal tone, indicating the action is pending up to the present moment.

had not up to now

Implies the action is pending up to the present moment but does not indicate a lack of expectation.

had not in the interim

Specifies that during a certain period of time the action didn't happen.

had not hitherto

Uses a more formal and somewhat archaic term for "until now".

had not earlier

Simply states that the action didn't happen earlier.

had not beforehand

Refers to an action that did not occur prior to another event.

FAQs

How can I use "had not yet" in a sentence?

Use "had not yet" to indicate that something didn't occur before a particular time. For instance, "The sun "had not yet" risen when they left" or "She "had not yet" seen the movie before last night".

What are some alternatives to "had not yet"?

You can use phrases such as "had not previously", "had not until then", or "had still not depending on the context".

Is "had not yet" formal or informal?

"Had not yet" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its appropriateness depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and sentence structure.

What's the difference between "had not yet" and "did not yet"?

"Had not yet" refers to a point in the past before another past event, indicating the earlier event was still pending. "Did not yet" is generally less common; using "had not yet" usually provides a clearer sense of sequence and completion. For example, "By the time they arrived, he "had not yet" started cooking" is better than "By the time they arrived, he did not yet start cooking".