have formerly been

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "have formerly been" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something was true in the past but may not be true now. Example: "They have formerly been the leading experts in the field, but new research has emerged."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

Relations between employers and employees have become, if anything, extremely complex and multilayered, with employees performing theoretical and supervisory tasks that would have formerly been reserved for management.

The New York Times - Books

He writes, "Listening to or merely thinking about '4'33″ ' led composers to listen to phenomena that would have formerly been considered nonmusical" — sustained tones, repeating patterns, other murmurs of the mechanical world.

The New Yorker

It was in 1777 that Thomas Lyon, a self-styled builder (who may have formerly been a carpenter in England), was asked to construct a building to house the clerks – or "writers" – of the EIC.

The Guardian

He writes, "Listening to or merely thinking about '4'33" ' led composers to listen to phenomena that would have formerly been considered nonmusical" — sustained tones, repeating patterns, other murmurs of the mechanical world.

The New Yorker

The Si 001 -c 8 Si 001 -c 8ure have formerly been observed and described in a number of publications [4–7, 10].

Nanoscale Research Letters

Janssen questions ideas that have formerly been taken for granted, as individuals did during the Civil Rights movement, the women's movement, and the LGBT rights movement.

Johns Hopkins University

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

It had formerly been 6,000.

The New York Times

However his mother was Italian and had formerly been Catholic.

The Guardian - Opinion

This anti-correlation has formerly been interpreted as evidence against a turbulent creation mechanism for PMSE.

Advances in Space Research

The ladies' conclusion was that the situation, which had formerly been serious, was now desperate.

The New Yorker

What had formerly been an Arab-Kurdish relationship was transformed into a Sunni-Shiite-Kurdish triangle.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "have formerly been" to clearly indicate a change in status or condition over time. Ensure the context clarifies the original state and the subsequent change.

Common error

Avoid using "have formerly been" when simply indicating a past state without a change. Use a simple past tense construction like "was" or "were" instead if the former state still holds or there is no shift in status.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "have formerly been" functions as a past participle construction within a present perfect tense. It indicates a state or condition that existed in the past but is no longer the case, as seen in Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "have formerly been" is a grammatically sound construction used to express a change from a past state to a current one. Ludwig AI indicates that it's most commonly found in scientific and news contexts, with a neutral to formal register. While not as common as simpler alternatives like "used to be", it provides a clear and precise way to communicate transformations over time. Remember to ensure tense consistency and to use this phrase when you genuinely want to highlight a change, not just a past state.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

previously have been

Replaces "formerly" with "previously", emphasizing the prior state.

once have been

Substitutes "formerly" with "once", highlighting that something was true at a point in the past.

used to be

A more concise and common way to express a past state.

had been

Indicates a past state prior to another event in the past.

have at one time been

Emphasizes a specific point in the past when something was true.

in the past have been

Highlights the past nature of the condition.

have earlier been

Indicates that something occurred earlier in time.

have previously existed as

Focuses on the prior existence of something.

have earlier existed as

Focuses on the prior existence of something at a earlier point in the timeline.

were formally

Specifies the formal or official nature of the prior state.

FAQs

How can I use "have formerly been" in a sentence?

Use "have formerly been" to indicate that something used to be true or the case, but is no longer so. For example, "This building "had formerly been" a hospital, but now it is an apartment complex."

What is a synonym for "have formerly been"?

Synonyms for "have formerly been" include "used to be", "previously had been", or "once have been".

Which is correct, "have formerly been" or "had formerly been"?

Both "have formerly been" and "had formerly been" are grammatically correct, but they have different implications. "Have formerly been" indicates a state that existed at some point in the past and is no longer true in the present. "Had formerly been" indicates a state that existed before another point in the past.

What is the difference between "have formerly been" and "were formerly"?

"Have formerly been" implies a present perfect construction, suggesting relevance to the current situation. "Were formerly" is a simple past construction, indicating a past state with no necessary connection to the present. For example, "They "were formerly" allies" suggests a past alliance that may or may not have present consequences, while "They "have formerly been" allies" emphasizes the change in their relationship up to now.