had previously filed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had previously filed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that an action of filing occurred at an earlier time before another event or action. Example: "The company had previously filed a complaint against the supplier before the contract was terminated."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

24 human-written examples

Mr. Giuca's lawyer, Mr. Epstein, had previously filed an appeal alleging prosecutorial misconduct.

The New York Times

Bianet also said 9% of those killed had previously filed a complaint or sought a restraining order against their aggressor.

The Guardian

Genentech then added some claims from the Celltech patent to a second patent application that it had previously filed on the same work.

The New York Times

Asian American had previously filed a breach-of-contract suit against Sands in 2007 in federal court in Nevada, but the court dismissed that case in 2010.

The New York Times

He initially limited the class of potential claimants to African-Americans who had farmed between 1981 and 1996 and had previously filed written discrimination complaints.

The New York Times

Several lawyers for detainees who had no pending habeas corpus case on the docket — because, for example, they had previously filed a petition but lost — asked a court to decide that the 2004 rules still covered them.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

33 human-written examples

(Who were those people? Did anyone ever find out?) Now they can be read on the internet for all eternity, which is the main reason journalists write much more in the digital age: to dilute the concentration of cobblers they have previously filed, until the rubbish articles are in homeopathic concentration.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Apple has previously filed patents for an auxiliary solar cell, that would work as a backup power source for mobile devices, as well as a method for covering a device in solar cells.

TechCrunch

Privacy International has previously filed two other cases - the first against alleged mass surveillance programmes Tempora, Prism and Upstream, and the second against the deployment by GCHQ of computer intrusion capabilities and spyware.

BBC

"You might as well do it for the shebang," attorney Stuart Flashman, who has previously filed suit against the project on environmental grounds, told the San Jose Mercury News.

Huffington Post

A small contingent of us groundhogs -- known by some in Lancaster as Groundhog Nation -- have previously filed suit against the state of Pennsylvania, but our actions are often met with a big "ho-hum;" cases are immediately dismissed and any such action are kept out of the media, naturally.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had previously filed", ensure it's clear what action was filed and the context in which it was filed. This provides clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "had previously filed" when a simpler past tense like "filed earlier" suffices. Overusing the past perfect can make your writing sound convoluted.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had previously filed" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect tense. It indicates an action (filing) that was completed before another action or point in time in the past. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

20%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had previously filed" is a grammatically sound and relatively common expression used to denote that an action of filing occurred before another event in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its proper use. Predominantly found in news and media contexts, it also appears in scientific and formal writing. When employing this phrase, ensure the context clearly establishes the earlier action and its relevance to the subsequent event, but consider simpler alternatives where appropriate to avoid convoluted language.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had filed earlier

Emphasizes the temporal sequence of filing.

had submitted before

Replaces "filed" with "submitted", focusing on the act of presenting something.

had lodged prior

Uses "lodged" as a synonym for "filed", with "prior" indicating precedence.

had registered formerly

Replaces "filed" with "registered", suggesting a formal recording.

had documented antecedently

Formal alternative using "documented" and "antecedently" to emphasize prior recording.

had officially presented before

More detailed alternative using "officially presented" to clarify the act of filing.

had duly recorded in the past

Uses "duly recorded" to suggest proper filing, emphasizing past occurrence.

had completed the filing process earlier

Expands on the action to include the entire filing process, highlighting its completion.

had taken care of filing at an earlier date

Informal alternative describing the action of filing as something that was taken care of.

had placed on record previously

Uses 'placed on record' instead of 'filed', highlighting the act of formally recording information.

FAQs

How to use "had previously filed" in a sentence?

Use "had previously filed" to indicate that someone completed the action of filing before another event occurred. For example, "The company "had previously filed" for bankruptcy before the merger was announced".

What can I say instead of "had previously filed"?

You can use alternatives like "had filed earlier", "had submitted before", or "had lodged prior" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "had previously filed" or "filed previously"?

"Had previously filed" is the correct form. The auxiliary verb "had" should precede the adverb "previously" for proper past perfect construction.

What's the difference between "had previously filed" and "has previously filed"?

"Had previously filed" indicates an action completed before a specific point in the past, while "has previously filed" indicates an action completed at some point before the present. The first is past perfect, the second present perfect.