had previously sent

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had previously sent" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is a past perfect tense verb phrase, indicating an action that occurred before another past action. Example: "The company had previously sent a memo warning employees about the policy changes." In this sentence, the action of sending the memo happened before another past action (the policy changes). Another example: "She had previously sent her resume to several companies, but had yet to receive any responses." Here, the action of sending the resume happened before the action of receiving responses.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

37 human-written examples

The site automatically provides a matching voter who had previously sent in a request.

The New York Times

The Lebanese Army had previously sent troops to the city, he said, but had yet to intervene.

The New York Times

The 47-year-old played with the Robins chairman, Lee Power, at Norwich City and had previously sent players to the County Ground on loan while at Tottenham.

The Guardian - Sport

And Assad promoted extremism too, releasing jailed jihadis (who he had previously sent to fight the Americans in Iraq) and even providing them with weapons.

The Guardian

But M.L.B.'s lawyers had previously sent the union information from others making similar allegations about the same agents, Sam and Seth Levinson.

The New York Times - Sports

Nick Wingfield and I had an article in Friday's paper about how some American companies are "re-shoring" manufacturing they had previously sent abroad.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

23 human-written examples

The corporate raider has previously sent public letters to Cook.

The Guardian - Tech

The two Koreas have previously sent joint teams to major international sports events twice, both in 1991.

The Guardian

He said the company appeared to have previously sent executives who were able to avoid difficult questions and who "claimed not to know the answers".

The Guardian

The family of kidnapped British aid worker David Haines have appealed to IS militants to contact them, having previously sent messages to his captors that were not returned.

Independent

The story-sharing requires both parties have the app started on the iPad and have previously sent a friend request to each other by e-mail.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had previously sent", ensure the context clearly establishes a sequence of past events, making it clear which action occurred before the other. This helps maintain clarity and avoid ambiguity in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "had previously sent" when a simple past tense would suffice. Overusing the past perfect can make your writing sound unnecessarily complex. Use it only when you need to emphasize that one action was completed before another.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had previously sent" functions as a past perfect verb phrase, indicating that the action of sending occurred before another point in the past. Ludwig examples show its use in describing actions completed before a subsequent event.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

52%

Wiki

20%

Science

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Academia

4%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had previously sent" is a grammatically sound past perfect phrase used to clearly indicate an action of sending that occurred before another event in the past. As Ludwig AI indicates, its usage is correct and well-supported by examples across various sources. While it appears most frequently in News & Media, it is also common in Wiki and Scientific contexts. When writing, be sure to use "had previously sent" to emphasize the sequence of past events and avoid overusing it when a simpler past tense would suffice. By understanding its function, purpose, and appropriate register, you can effectively incorporate "had previously sent" into your writing for enhanced clarity and precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had sent earlier

Replaces "previously" with "earlier" to convey the same meaning with a slight shift in emphasis.

sent before

This alternative uses a simpler structure, omitting "previously" for a less formal tone.

had dispatched before

Substitutes "sent" with "dispatched", indicating a more formal and official sending.

had forwarded previously

Replaces "sent" with "forwarded", implying the sending of something already received.

previously had sent

Changes the order of the words to show the time before an action.

had transmitted earlier

Uses "transmitted" instead of "sent", often used in contexts involving data or signals.

had conveyed previously

Substitutes "sent" with "conveyed", indicating the sending of a message or information.

had shipped beforehand

Replaces "sent" with "shipped", implying the sending of physical goods or cargo.

had remitted earlier

Replaces "sent" with "remitted", generally used in contexts involving money or payments.

had directed previously

Substitutes "sent" with "directed", implying the sending of someone toward a place or direction.

FAQs

How can I use "had previously sent" in a sentence?

Use "had previously sent" to describe an action of sending that was completed before another action in the past. For example: "The company "had previously sent" a warning, before the incident occurred."

What are some alternatives to "had previously sent"?

Alternatives include "sent earlier", "had sent before", or "had dispatched before". The best choice depends on the specific context and desired level of formality.

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

While the past perfect tense already indicates that an action occurred before another past action, using "previously" can add emphasis and clarity, particularly when the sequence of events might not be immediately obvious. Thus, it isn't always redundant.

What's the difference between "had sent" and "had previously sent"?

Both "had sent" and ""had previously sent"" indicate an action completed in the past before another past action. The addition of "previously" emphasizes that the sending occurred at an earlier time in relation to the other past event, giving greater clarity to the sequence.