had submitted before

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had submitted before" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that an action of submission occurred prior to a specific point in time or another action. Example: "She had submitted before the deadline, ensuring her application was considered."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The workshop consisted of a day of group discussions (among researchers who had submitted, before the workshop, short papers summarizing their findings on a particular topic), followed by 2 days of group presentations made by each group to the wider set of GAW18 participants.

Genetic Epidemiology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Bidzy will also be able to show customer data to merchants to help them make a decision on whether to accept a bid – such as how many bids the customer has submitted before, and the star ratings they have left.

TechCrunch

Programs in Texas, South Dakota, and South Carolina had submitted bids before North Dakota was initially chosen, an EERC official told the audience in Pierce County.

Science Magazine

Bülow admitted that he had not read the proof of the article that the newspaper had submitted to him before publication; William believed Bülow had approved the article so that the emperor would be humiliated.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Enquirer editors said they had submitted an entry before the Feb. 1 deadline for their work on the John Edwards scandal, but it was not clear whether the publication qualified for the Pulitzers, widely considered the most coveted honor for American newspapers.

The New York Times

The judge in the manslaughter trial of Jayson Williams, the former New Jersey Nets star, on Tuesday rejected most of a package of motions the defense had submitted the day before, including one to dismiss all charges and another to allow a jury tour of Mr. Williams's country estate.

The New York Times

In negotiating with Al Jazeera, CNN said it initially agreed to the offer because it understood that it could eventually decide not to broadcast Mr. bin Laden's responses and that it could report that it had submitted the questions before any videotape was received by Al Jazeera.

The New York Times

NHS Commissioners told VICE that Optum had submitted a bid before the "pause" in the contract, and had not withdrawn the bid.

Vice

Once, Walsh says, a professor from Harvard asked after his paper, which he had submitted about a year before.

University of Chicago

The conversation took place after Triggs had submitted her report, but before it was made public.

Vice

The developers, who had submitted plans to City Hall before the controversy began, asked to have their projects "grandfathered" into the zoning changes.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had submitted before", ensure the context clearly establishes the two distinct time frames: the time of submission and the subsequent point of reference. This helps avoid ambiguity and clarifies the sequence of events.

Common error

Avoid using "had submitted before" when a simple past tense would suffice. This construction is specifically for indicating that an action was completed before another point in the past, not for general past actions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had submitted before" functions as a part of a past perfect construction. It indicates an action (submitting) completed at some point in the past, prior to another action or time also in the past. Ludwig AI shows this is a valid way to express this meaning.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

33%

Academia

32%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had submitted before" is a grammatically correct and frequently used phrase employed to convey that an action of submission took place prior to a specific point in time. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is typically found in neutral to formal contexts such as in news reports, academic papers, and scientific documents. While the phrase is versatile, it's important to ensure that the time sequence is clear and that the past perfect tense is appropriate for the intended meaning. Alternative phrases include "previously submitted" and "submitted earlier" which provide similar meanings with slight variations in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

already submitted

Highlights the completed action of submitting something.

previously submitted

Focuses on the action being done at an earlier time.

submitted ahead of time

Emphasizes that the submission occurred before the deadline or expected time.

submitted earlier

Emphasizes the action happening at a prior time.

had filed beforehand

Uses 'filed' instead of 'submitted', implying a formal submission.

had sent in advance

Replaces 'submitted' with 'sent', suggesting a less formal submission.

had presented beforehand

Uses 'presented' instead of 'submitted', often used when referring to documents or ideas.

submitted in anticipation

Highlights the forward-thinking aspect of the submission.

had provided previously

Replaces 'submitted' with 'provided', suitable when referring to information or materials.

had lodged earlier

Uses 'lodged' which means officially registered or filed.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "had submitted before" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "previously submitted", "submitted in advance", or "submitted earlier" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it always necessary to use "had" with "submitted before"?

Yes, the "had" is crucial because it establishes the past perfect tense, indicating that the submission occurred before another point in the past. Without "had", the sentence may lack clarity regarding the sequence of events.

What's the difference between "had submitted before" and "submitted earlier"?

"Had submitted before" emphasizes that the action was completed prior to a specific point of reference. "Submitted earlier" simply indicates that the submission happened at an earlier time, without necessarily connecting it to another past event.

Can I use "had submitted before" to describe a future event?

No, "had submitted before" is used exclusively for past events. It indicates that the submission was completed before another point also in the past. For future events, use constructions like "will have submitted by".