had yet been

USAGE SUMMARY

"had yet been" is correct and usable in written English in the present perfect passive construction.
Example sentence: "The documents had yet been filed when the deadline arrived."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Nothing had yet been paved.

The New Yorker

No legal action had yet been taken.

The New York Times - Arts

It cautioned that no decisions had yet been made.

The New York Times - Tech

No formal proposals had yet been made, the spokesperson said.

Independent

Nothing of the kind had yet been painted in Europe.

The New York Times - Arts

No country had yet been forced to drop inflation targeting.

The Economist

He said no ransom demand had yet been received.

The New York Times

Nothing of the kind had yet been seen in Impressionism.

The New York Times - Arts

Jack Hoffman said no funeral arrangements had yet been made.

The New York Times

Chase said no specific decisions had yet been made.

The New York Times

However, he added, no such protests had yet been made.

The Guardian - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When employing "had yet been", ensure that the context provides a clear reference point in the past. This helps readers understand when the unfulfilled action or event was anticipated.

Common error

Avoid using "has yet been" when referring to a past action. "Has" indicates present perfect tense, while "had" correctly denotes past perfect tense when indicating something that did not happen before a specific point in the past.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had yet been" functions as a past perfect passive construction. It indicates that an action or event had not occurred up to a specific point in the past. This usage is confirmed by Ludwig, reinforcing its validity in English grammar.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

76%

Academia

8%

Wiki

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Science

7%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had yet been" is a grammatically correct and commonly used past perfect passive construction. According to Ludwig, it's used to indicate that something had not occurred before a specific point in the past. Its usage is particularly frequent in news and media, as well as academic contexts. While alternatives like "had not yet been" or "was yet to be" exist, "had yet been" remains a clear and effective way to express unfulfilled actions in past narratives. The analysis provided by Ludwig confirms its validity and wide applicability in English writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had not yet been

Adds emphasis to the negation, making it more explicit that something didn't happen before a certain time.

was not yet

Emphasizes the timing of the event, specifying that it hadn't happened up to that point.

was yet to be

Shifts the tense slightly, emphasizing anticipation or future expectation.

had not been

A more concise alternative, useful when the "yet" isn't crucial for the meaning.

had still to be

Highlights the unfulfilled nature of an event or action.

was still not

Focuses on the continuing absence of something.

remained to be

Implies a state of waiting or pending action.

had not up to this point been

Extends the phrase to include a temporal marker, stressing the delay or lack of occurrence.

was outstanding

Indicates that something was still to be done or resolved.

was pending

Suggests that something was waiting to happen or be decided.

FAQs

How can I use "had yet been" in a sentence?

"Had yet been" is used to indicate that something had not happened before a specific time in the past. For example, "The contract "had yet been signed" when the deadline arrived".

What are some alternatives to "had yet been"?

Alternatives include "had not yet been", "was yet to be", or "remained to be", depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "has yet been" instead of "had yet been"?

No, "has yet been" is grammatically incorrect when referring to a past event. "Had yet been" is the correct past perfect construction.

What is the difference between "had yet been" and "had already been"?

"Had yet been" indicates something that hadn't happened before a certain time, while "had already been" indicates something that had happened before a certain time. They are opposites in meaning.