had previously subscribed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had previously subscribed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that someone had signed up for a service or publication at an earlier time before a specific point in the past. Example: "Before the new policy was implemented, she had previously subscribed to the newsletter for several years."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

A letter sent to those who had previously subscribed to the Skully email list, and obtained by TechCrunch, says new company SKULLY Technologies is bringing back the helmet.

TechCrunch

If you had previously subscribed to some of our podcasts and discovered they weren't getting updated, make sure you use the new links below.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

When the server receives the second request, it checks the user identity against the MBSC-DB that contains a list of eligible users (those that have previously subscribed to the service).

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Users who have previously subscribed to Mail Plus are grandfathered in and will be able to continue paying $19.99 a year for the 'ad free' version of mail, but new users who want a 'no ads' Yahoo Mail will have to pay $49.99 a year for the new Ad-Free Mail product.

TechCrunch

They also market a "Complete package" which does not include the entire Freedom package, but basically a set of journals to which the university has previously subscribed.

F1000Research

All participants had subscribed to a mailing list, newsgroup, or message forum before and all but one had previously posted a message.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

For background, the extension in question had previously placed a small, orange RSS icon next the website's URL in Chrome's address bar, allowing users an easy way to subscribe to a site's feed.

TechCrunch

He had previously studied there.

The New Yorker

He had previously attended Eastbourne College and Millfield School.

Independent

I had previously avoided Shakespeare.

The Guardian

Rosanna Arquette had previously auditioned.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had previously subscribed" when you need to clearly indicate that a subscription was active at some point in the past, but is no longer necessarily so. This is particularly useful when contrasting past actions with the present situation.

Common error

Avoid using "has previously subscribed" if the context requires a past perfect tense. "Had previously subscribed" indicates an action completed before another point in the past.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had previously subscribed" functions as a past perfect construction indicating a completed action (subscribing) before a specific point in the past. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had previously subscribed" is a grammatically sound construction used to denote a past subscription that occurred before another point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. It's most frequently found in News & Media and Scientific contexts, indicating a neutral to professional register. While there are several alternative phrasings, such as "had formerly subscribed" or "had signed up previously", the choice depends on the desired level of formality and the specific context. When using this phrase, ensure that the past perfect tense is appropriate, indicating an action completed before another past event. Overall, it is a useful phrase for providing background information about prior affiliations or registrations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had subscribed earlier

Replaces "previously" with "earlier", offering a simpler temporal reference.

had formerly subscribed

Substitutes "previously" with "formerly", suggesting a more formal tone.

had once subscribed

Emphasizes that the subscription occurred at some point in the past, without specifying recency.

was a former subscriber

Changes the structure to focus on the person's state as a "subscriber" in the past.

had enrolled before

Replaces "subscribed" with "enrolled", suitable for services or programs.

had registered earlier

Uses "registered" instead of "subscribed", applicable for accounts and services.

had signed up previously

Replaces "subscribed" with the phrasal verb "signed up", making it more informal.

had a prior subscription

Restructures the sentence to highlight the existence of "a prior subscription".

was subscribed in the past

Uses a passive voice construction to indicate past subscription status.

had at one time subscribed

Adds emphasis on the temporal aspect of the past subscription.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "had previously subscribed" to sound more formal?

To achieve a more formal tone, you can replace "had previously subscribed" with phrases like "had formerly subscribed" or "was a former subscriber".

What's the difference between "had previously subscribed" and "had subscribed earlier"?

While both phrases are similar, "had previously subscribed" is slightly more formal and emphasizes the completion of the subscription action before a specific point in time. "had subscribed earlier" is a more straightforward temporal reference.

When should I use "had previously subscribed" instead of "has previously subscribed"?

Use "had previously subscribed" when you're discussing a past action that occurred before another point in the past. Use "has previously subscribed" when discussing an action that started in the past and continues to have relevance in the present.

Are there any informal alternatives to "had previously subscribed"?

Yes, you can use the phrase "had signed up previously" as a more informal alternative to "had previously subscribed".