had supported keeping

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had supported keeping" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing past actions or decisions related to maintaining something, such as a policy or practice. Example: "The committee had supported keeping the current regulations in place despite the proposed changes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Cook's lawyer, Norman Sheresky, repeatedly accused Brinkley of seeking to "publicly flog" her husband, noting that she had supported keeping the trial open to the public.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Republicans have supported keeping the sequestration cuts in place rather than accepting Mr. Obama's proposal for a mix of higher taxes on wealthy people and some corporations and cuts in future entitlement spending.

The New York Times

Top aides to Mr. Romney have criticized the abortion ads as inaccurate and misleading, noting that Mr. Romney has always supported keeping abortion legal in cases of rape and incest.

The New York Times

"Lord Coe has consistently supported keeping the stadium with an athletic track," the report says.

The Guardian

"I have always supported keeping abortion legal, and it's true that earlier in my career I voted to restrict the use of federal funding in some circumstances, but over the years I have come to the very strong view that federal funding should also be available, and that has been my position for quite a long time," he said.

The New York Times

EVER since the mid-1950's, when two men known as the Mad Dog Killers murdered six people during armed robberies of Connecticut package stores and other retail outlets, package store owners have strongly supported keeping their businesses open no later than 8 p.m.

The New York Times

Last fall, an exasperated Gov. John G. Rowland, who had supported building and keeping the courthouse in Litchfield, announced he had changed his mind and favored putting the courthouse in Torrington.

The New York Times

But he has also long supported keeping abortion legal.

The New York Times

However, he's supported keeping the procedure legal and has earned a perfect voting record from Planned Parenthood.

Los Angeles Times

In a wide-ranging interview, Essam el-Erian, a senior leader of the political party founded by the group, the Muslim Brotherhood, said the party had decided to support keeping the caretaker prime minister and cabinet appointed by the ruling military council in office for the next six months.

The New York Times

Trump, in contrast, has said he supports keeping the name.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had supported keeping", ensure the context clearly indicates what was being supported and why its continuation was significant.

Common error

Avoid using "had supported keeping" when a simpler past tense like "supported keeping" is sufficient, especially if the timeline is already established.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had supported keeping" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect tense. It indicates a completed action of providing endorsement or approval for the continuation of something before another point in the past. As confirmed by Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had supported keeping" is a grammatically correct, though relatively rare, past perfect construction used to indicate a prior endorsement for the continuation of something. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's suitable for neutral to professional contexts, primarily found in news and media. When writing, ensure the context clearly defines what was being supported and why its continuation was significant and in cases where the emphasis on the 'past perfect' is not required, it may be better to use the form "supported keeping".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had advocated for maintaining

Emphasizes active support for maintaining something; "advocated" implies a more vocal endorsement.

had endorsed retaining

"Endorsed" suggests formal approval, while "retaining" focuses on keeping something in its current state.

had favored preserving

"Favored" indicates a preference, and "preserving" highlights the act of protecting something from change.

had championed upholding

"Championed" implies strong, public support, and "upholding" suggests actively defending something.

had backed sustaining

"Backed" suggests providing support, and "sustaining" focuses on maintaining something over time.

had promoted continuing

"Promoted" indicates active encouragement, while "continuing" simply means keeping something in progress.

had defended preserving

"Defended" indicates protection from attack, while "preserving" highlights the act of protecting something from change.

had pushed for maintaining

"Pushed" indicates active intervention for a cause, while "maintaining" focuses on keeping something in its current state.

had lobbied to retain

"Lobbied" indicates exerting influence for a cause, while "retaining" focuses on keeping something in its current state.

had strived to preserve

"Strived" indicates effort for a cause, while "preserving" highlights the act of protecting something from change.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "had supported keeping" to sound more formal?

Consider alternatives such as "had advocated for maintaining" or "had endorsed retaining" for a more formal tone.

What is a simple substitute for "had supported keeping"?

You can often replace it with "supported keeping" if the past perfect tense isn't crucial for conveying the sequence of events.

In what situations is "had supported keeping" most appropriate?

Use "had supported keeping" when you need to emphasize that the support occurred before another event in the past, establishing a clear timeline.

Is there a difference between "had supported keeping" and "supported maintaining"?

"Had supported keeping" implies a past action of endorsing continuation, while "supported maintaining" suggests ongoing or general support for upholding something. The former emphasizes a specific past instance of support.