it had been

USAGE SUMMARY

'it had been' is a perfectly grammatical part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it to talk about an event or situation that happened in the past before another event or situation happened. For example: "When we arrived, it had been raining for several hours."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It had been rebuilt.

The New York Times

"It had been demolished.

The New Yorker

It had been years!

Independent

It had been missed.

The New York Times

Alas, it had been sold.

The New York Times

It had been: my dignity.

The New York Times - Travel

"It had been three days".

The New York Times

It had been a struggle.

The New Yorker

It had been thoroughly looted.

The New Yorker

after it had been bought.

The New Yorker

It had been three hours.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "it had been", ensure the context clearly establishes two points in the past: the time when the 'it' existed in a prior state, and a later point in the past being referenced.

Common error

Avoid using "it had been" when a simple past tense would suffice. "It had been" indicates a past perfect tense, used for actions completed before another point in the past, not just any past event.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "it had been" is to establish a past perfect construction, indicating that a state or action was completed before another point in the past. Ludwig's examples illustrate its usage in various narrative and descriptive contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "it had been" is a grammatically sound phrase used to establish a past perfect tense, indicating an action or state completed before another point in the past. As confirmed by Ludwig, its usage is widespread across numerous contexts, particularly in news and media. While it's a very common phrase, be mindful of the tense sequence and avoid using it when a simple past tense suffices. Remember to use "it had been" only when you want to explicitly highlight that one event preceded another in the past.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it was previously

This alternative replaces "had been" with "was previously", focusing on a prior state.

it was formerly

Using "formerly" instead of "had been" emphasizes a past condition or identity.

it used to be

This alternative conveys a past state or condition that is no longer true.

it had previously happened

This is more specific, indicating a prior occurrence of an event.

it had transpired earlier

This version sounds more formal, using "transpired" to indicate that something has occurred.

it had come to pass

A more literary way of saying something had occurred before a certain time.

it was at one time

This alternative highlights that something was true at a specific period in the past.

prior to that, it was

This phrase emphasizes the sequence of events, with a focus on what preceded the current situation.

before then, it had

Similar to the previous, this focuses on what existed or happened before a specific point in the past.

earlier, it was

A simpler way to indicate that something was in a particular state at an earlier time.

FAQs

How do I use "it had been" in a sentence?

Use "it had been" to describe a state or action completed before another event in the past. For example, "By the time we arrived, "it had been" raining for hours."

What's the difference between "it was" and "it had been"?

"It was" describes a state or action in the past. "It had been" indicates a state or action completed before another point in the past. "It was raining" vs ""it had been" raining when I left".

What can I say instead of "it had been"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "it was previously", "it used to be", or "it was formerly".

Is it ever incorrect to use "it had been"?

Yes, it's incorrect if you're simply describing a past action without reference to another past event. Use simple past tense instead. For example, instead of "It had been a good day", use "It was a good day".