had previously made

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had previously made" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when you want to describe something that has been done in the past. Example: She had previously made a similar mistake last month.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Neither had previously made the playoffs.

The New York Times - Sports

His relatives had previously made donations to the Liberal party.

The Guardian

We found that, generally, response rates were lower for topics users had previously made calls about.

University of California, Berkeley

Stewart would remind viewers of statements they had previously made that they contradicted.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

He had previously made grudging admittance to really quite liking Gilbert O'Sullivan and Leo Sayer.

The Guardian - Opinion

The board had previously made clear its findings would not deal with blame and liability.

The Guardian

Where riders had previously made a bare minimum of £2.75 per delivery, now they made £2.25.

The Guardian

Six other contenders had previously made moves to bolster their chances.

The New York Times - Sports

Among its 30 members were six Korubo people who had previously made contact.

The Guardian

The unpredictability of guns had previously made them more suitable to terrorize than inflict harm.

The New York Times

Svoboda had previously made the Pro Bowl as a member of the Chicago Cardinals.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Combine "had previously made" with specific details about the action and the time frame to enhance clarity and impact. For example, "She had previously made significant contributions to the project during her tenure as team lead."

Common error

Avoid using "had previously made" when the simple past tense is sufficient. Overusing the past perfect can make your writing sound unnecessarily complex. For example, instead of "He had previously made a mistake, and then he corrected it", consider "He made a mistake, and then he corrected it."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had previously made" functions as a past perfect construction, indicating an action completed before another point in the past. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

69%

Academia

11%

Wiki

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Encyclopedias

3%

Science

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had previously made" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase in English, particularly in News & Media. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase serves to indicate that an action was completed before another action or point in time in the past. While Ludwig's examples confirm that its neutral register makes it suitable for various contexts, it's important to avoid redundancy and ensure clarity. Use the phrase to establish a clear temporal sequence, and combine it with specific details for enhanced impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had made before

Reorders the phrase slightly for a more direct emphasis on the sequence of events.

had earlier created

Substitutes "made" with "created" offering a different perspective on the action.

had formerly done

Uses "formerly done" to emphasize the past nature of the action and its distinction from the present.

had in the past produced

Emphasizes the action of producing something in the past, which is similar to making something.

had already completed

Highlights the completion aspect of the action prior to a certain time.

had at one time constructed

Replaces "made" with "constructed", adding a nuance of building or assembling something.

had once formulated

Suggests the creation of an idea or plan in the past.

had previously established

Focuses on establishing something before a certain point in time.

had earlier initiated

Emphasizes the act of starting something at an earlier time.

had beforehand prepared

Highlights the preparatory aspect of the action completed in advance.

FAQs

How do I use "had previously made" in a sentence?

Use "had previously made" to describe an action completed before another action in the past. For example, "Before the presentation, she "had previously made" revisions to the slides".

What is a synonym for "had previously made"?

Synonyms include "had made before", "had earlier created", or "had formerly done", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it redundant to use "previously" with the past perfect tense?

While the past perfect tense already implies that something happened before another point in the past, using "previously" can add emphasis and clarity, especially when the sequence of events is not immediately obvious. However, it's essential to ensure that this emphasis doesn't lead to an overly wordy sentence.

What's the difference between "had previously made" and "made before"?

"Had previously made" is in the past perfect tense, indicating completion before another past action or time. "Made before" is a simpler construction that can be used in various tenses to describe actions made at an earlier time without the more specific focus of the past perfect. Context dictates which is more appropriate.