had sent a document

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had sent a document" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that the action of sending a document was completed before another action or point in time. Example: "By the time the meeting started, I had sent a document to all participants."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The company had sent a document to the Experts saying inspections lasted between 10 and 30 hours, which included two and three hours of writing up notes respectively.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

I've sent a variety of documents from my GMail account to the printer and have not had any trouble.

TechCrunch

5 02 p.m. | Updated Federal investigators have sent a subpoena to the National Basketball Players Association seeking documents about the business practices of the union, which have come under scrutiny because of claims of nepotism and conflicts of interest.

The New York Times

Mr. Marcus, who operates a Web site called boycottworldcom.com, said that a WorldCom employee had sent the document to him unsolicited.

The New York Times

Mosley said the F.I.A. had sent the document to 20 to 30 different people so it was not possible to know who leaked it.

The New York Times - Sports

The Times reported that special counsel Robert Mueller's office had sent the White House a document outlining 13 areas of interest about which investigators were seeking additional documentation.

Huffington Post

Mr. Cuomo said his office had sent subpoenas and document requests to dozens of universities around the country, demanding information about arrangements with student loan companies that rewarded college athletic departments with payments for steering students to particular lenders.

The New York Times

Asked if the paper knew who had sent the documents, she offered no comment.

The Guardian

Wang Xiaopeng, maritime expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, tells the Xinhua News agency that Vietnam had sent similar documents to the UN and China has only "reciprocated". 　　.

BBC

[World Business, Section W.] Report on Prozac Documents The British Medical Journal said it had sent documents to American health regulators that it said appear to suggest a link between Prozac and suicidal behavior.

The New York Times

The inspector general also found that Ms. MacDonald had sent internal government documents by e-mail to a lawyer for the Pacific Legal Foundation — a property-rights group that frequently challenges endangered-species decisions.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had sent a document", ensure the past perfect tense is appropriate by establishing a clear sequence of events in the past. For example, "By the time the meeting started, he "had sent a document" to all attendees".

Common error

Avoid using "had sent a document" when a simple past tense ("sent a document") is sufficient. The past perfect is only necessary to show that the action occurred before another point in the past.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had sent a document" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect tense. It indicates that the action of sending a document was completed before another point in time in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, this is a valid and commonly used construction.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Science

8%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had sent a document" is a grammatically correct past perfect construction, indicating that the action of sending a document was completed before another point in time in the past. Ludwig AI analysis and real-world examples show that it is commonly used in various contexts, especially in news and media. When using this phrase, it's important to ensure the past perfect tense is appropriate to clearly establish the sequence of events. While "had sent a document" is acceptable, more precise or formal alternatives like "transmitted a file" or "submitted paperwork" may be preferable in specific contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

emailed the file

Specifies the method of sending: via email.

shared the document

Highlights the act of sharing a document with others.

transmitted a file

Replaces "sent a document" with a more technical term, focusing on the act of transmitting a digital file.

submitted paperwork

Emphasizes the act of formally submitting documents, especially in administrative contexts.

submitted the form

Focuses on the submission of a specific type of document: a form.

dispatched a report

Replaces "document" with "report" and "sent" with "dispatched", suggesting a formal sending of information.

forwarded the attachment

Focuses on the act of forwarding an attachment, typically via email.

conveyed the data

Replaces "document" with "data" and "sent" with "conveyed", implying a transfer of information.

provided the information

Focuses on supplying information, where the document serves as the medium.

delivered the paperwork

Emphasizes the delivery of paper-based documents.

FAQs

How is "had sent a document" different from "sent a document"?

"Had sent a document" indicates an action completed before another past action, using the past perfect tense, while "sent a document" simply indicates a completed action in the past, using the simple past tense. The first establishes a sequence, while the second does not.

What are some alternatives to "had sent a document"?

Alternatives include "transmitted a file", "submitted paperwork", or "dispatched a report", depending on the specific context.

Is it always necessary to use "had sent a document" when describing a past action?

No, use "had sent a document" only when you need to emphasize that the action of sending the document occurred before another action in the past. Otherwise, "sent a document" is sufficient.

Can "had sent a document" be used in formal writing?

Yes, "had sent a document" is grammatically correct and suitable for formal writing, as long as the past perfect tense is used appropriately to indicate the sequence of past events.