previously having been

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "previously having been" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something occurred before a certain point in time or event. Example: "Previously having been a teacher, she found it easy to connect with her students."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

He also explains that they "have appeared in the Guardian previously, having been hijacked by a woman fraudster called Sue Townsend.

The Guardian - Books

A contract was presented in December 2005, and Kagawa became the first player ever to sign professional terms with a J-League club midway through his high school education without previously having been part of its youth set-up.

The Guardian - Sport

Rather, Ewing was convicted of felony grand theft for stealing nearly $1,200 worth of merchandise after previously having been convicted of at least two "violent" or "serious" felonies.

The New York Times

Sitaro attained district status in 2007, previously having been part of Sangihe District.

International Journal of Disaster Risk Science

Nikesh Arora was appointed president at SoftBank last month, with the ex-Google, ex-T-Mobile executive previously having been head of its internet and media division.

TechCrunch

Amazon's Fire TV companion DVR, the Fire TV Recast, is available today to the public, after previously having been only offered for pre-order.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

The standard previously had been 15 years.

The New York Times

She previously had been married to Walter Henry Liebman Jr.

Princeton University

The average previously has been 226.9mm.

The Guardian

The best chance they had managed previously had been 0.05percentt.

The New York Times

Endurance previously had been available only to sports teams.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "previously having been" to clearly establish a sequence of events or states, ensuring the reader understands the temporal relationship between them. For example, 'The area, previously having been farmland, is now a bustling commercial center.'

Common error

Avoid using "previously having been" in conjunction with other phrases that already indicate past states, as this can lead to redundancy. Instead of saying 'Previously having been a teacher before, she...' use 'Previously having been a teacher, she...' or 'Before, having been a teacher, she...'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "previously having been" functions as an adverbial participial phrase, modifying a noun or clause by providing background information about a prior state or condition. As Ludwig AI states, it's grammatically correct and usable. For instance, 'The land, previously having been farmland, is now...' provides context about the land's past.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Science

33%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Academia

8%

Encyclopedias

4%

Formal & Business

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "previously having been" is a versatile adverbial participial phrase that is grammatically correct and used to provide background information about a prior state or condition. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this phrase is most commonly found in news and media and science contexts, and its register is typically neutral to formal. While common, it's important to avoid redundancy with other temporal markers. Alternative phrases such as "formerly having been" or "before having been" can offer subtle variations in meaning. Overall, "previously having been" is a useful tool for establishing temporal relationships and providing context in various forms of writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

formerly having been

Replaces "previously" with "formerly", which is a more formal synonym indicating a past status.

before having been

Uses "before" instead of "previously", emphasizing the temporal sequence more directly.

once having been

Emphasizes a state that existed at a single point in the past.

having earlier been

Reorders the words to place emphasis on "earlier" as a modifier.

having in the past been

Inserts "in the past" for emphasis, making it slightly more verbose.

previously existing as

Focuses on the mode of prior existence rather than the action of "being".

had previously been

Uses the past perfect tense to emphasize the completion of the action before another point in time.

at one time having been

Emphasizes the temporality and uniqueness of the past condition.

in the past having been

Similar to "having in the past been", but with a slight reordering for emphasis.

erstwhile having been

Uses the archaic term "erstwhile" to indicate a former state.

FAQs

How can I use "previously having been" in a sentence?

The phrase "previously having been" is used to describe a past state or condition. For example: "The building, previously having been a warehouse, was converted into apartments."

What phrases are similar to "previously having been"?

Alternatives include "formerly having been", "before having been", or "once having been". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it redundant to use "previously having been" with other past tense indicators?

Yes, using "previously having been" with other explicit past tense markers can be redundant. Choose one or the other for clarity. For example, instead of "Previously having been a manager before..." use "Previously having been a manager..." or "Before, having been a manager...".

What's the difference between "previously having been" and "had previously been"?

"Previously having been" acts as a participial phrase, often used to add context to a noun or situation. "Had previously been" uses the past perfect tense and is used when indicating that an action was completed before another action in the past. For example: 'She, previously having been a teacher, understood the students' needs,' versus 'She had previously been a teacher before becoming a principal.'