had recently been

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had recently been" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use this phrase to indicate that something happened in the recent past, but not necessarily immediately preceding the present moment. For example, "John had recently been elected president of the student council."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

Another's father had recently been deported.

The New York Times

The building had recently been rewired.

The New York Times

But the street had recently been raised.

The New Yorker

Worse, the electronics had recently been upgraded.

The New Yorker

They had recently been weighed and counted.

The New Yorker

She had recently been treated for leukemia.

The New York Times

His father had recently been dispatched to….

The New Yorker

The man had recently been in Yemen.

The Economist

Jackson had recently been robbed.

The Washington Post

It had recently been at 131.82.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

Nevertheless, Lambeth eventually won, and Newman had recently been rehoused.

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had recently been" to clearly indicate that an action or event occurred in the past, but within a time frame that is relevant to the current context. This helps to establish a clear timeline for your reader.

Common error

Avoid using "had recently been" when a simple past tense would suffice. Overusing the past perfect can make your writing sound overly complex. For example, instead of saying "He had recently been promoted when the scandal broke", consider "He was recently promoted when the scandal broke" if the promotion and the scandal are closely linked in time.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had recently been" functions as a past perfect passive construction, indicating that an action was completed in the recent past relative to another point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms that it's grammatically sound and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

15%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Academia

1%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had recently been" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase to indicate that something occurred in the past, but not necessarily immediately preceding the present moment. Ludwig AI states that it is safe to use the phrase in written English. It is most frequently found in News & Media sources, with a neutral register and aims to establish temporal relationships between events, providing context to a past situation. When employing this phrase, ensure correct tense sequencing and avoid overusing it when a simple past tense would suffice.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had just been

Emphasizes immediacy, suggesting the action occurred very shortly before the reference time.

had shortly been

Similar to "had just been", but slightly less emphatic about the immediate timing.

had not long been

Highlights the short duration since the action occurred.

had newly been

Similar to "had freshly been", stressing the recent change in status or condition.

had lately been

Implies a period of time leading up to the reference point, rather than a single, recent occurrence.

had freshly been

Emphasizes the newness or freshness of the state resulting from the action.

had previously been

Indicates the action occurred before a specific point in time, without specifying recentness.

had of late been

A more formal way of saying "had lately been", carrying a similar meaning.

had in recent times been

A more verbose way of saying "had recently been", adding a touch of formality.

had recently undergone

Focuses on the process of undergoing something, rather than the state of being.

FAQs

How do I use "had recently been" in a sentence?

Use "had recently been" to describe an action completed in the past that has relevance to a subsequent event. For instance, "The house "had recently been renovated", so it was in excellent condition when they sold it."

What's the difference between "had recently been" and "was recently"?

"Had recently been" (past perfect) implies an action completed before another point in the past, while "was recently" (simple past) simply states that an action occurred in the past. The past perfect establishes a clearer sequence of events. For example, "He "had recently been promoted", so he was surprised to be laid off" versus "He "was recently promoted" and then laid off."

What are some alternatives to using "had recently been"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "had just been", "had shortly been", or "had previously been" to convey similar meanings with slightly different nuances.

Is it incorrect to use "had recently been" in formal writing?

No, it is not incorrect. "Had recently been" is perfectly acceptable in formal writing to indicate an event that occurred in the past relative to another past event. However, ensure that its use adds clarity and doesn't make the sentence unnecessarily convoluted.