was being retrieved

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "was being retrieved" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where an action is ongoing in the past, particularly when referring to the process of obtaining or recovering something. Example: "The data was being retrieved from the server when the connection was lost."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Data that might shed some light was being retrieved from the damaged flight recorder.

The New York Times

They worked the day on a bucket brigade, handing down whatever was being retrieved from the pile.

The New York Times

He confirmed that evidence was being retrieved from the phones, however, adding there has been "some telephonic connections between at least one of these individuals and other subjects of our investigation".

The Guardian

Once, fishermen placed their boats several miles apart, taking turns retrieving small amounts of their catch, in the hope that the whales would not have enough time to move between boats to steal the catch as it was being retrieved.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

In the first two panels, the phagosome membrane is surrounded by a cloud of VatM-GFP-positive vesicles as the V-ATPase is being retrieved; the vigorous dynamics that characterize the retrieval stage are evident in Movie S7.

Plosone

Still others are being retrieved by their parents.

The New York Times

As historians round out the story of America's stumbling march toward civil rights, however, such incidents are being retrieved and examined.

The New York Times - Books

"They ended up in Newsday one year," whispered one of the women, explaining why the paper packets were being retrieved even with the performance still in progress.

The New York Times

But the report, according to Detective Jack Fitzpatrick, who was at the site where the bodies were being retrieved last night, appeared suspicious.

The New York Times

Perhaps the pervading inertia is deliberate, a means of signalling that these events are being retrieved from the recesses of Vere's fading memory, but that seems doubtful.

The Guardian - Music

In recent years, phenology is being retrieved at higher resolution (≤30 m) in response to increasing availability of high-resolution satellite data.

International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "was being retrieved" when you want to emphasize the ongoing process of getting something back or obtaining information from a source.

Common error

Avoid using "was being retrieved" when referring to a future action. Use "will be retrieved" or "is going to be retrieved" instead to maintain correct tense.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "was being retrieved" functions as a passive progressive verb phrase. It describes an ongoing action (retrieval) that was happening at a specific point in the past. Ludwig examples show its usage in describing the retrieval of data, evidence, and even bodies.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "was being retrieved" is a grammatically correct passive progressive verb phrase used to describe a past action of retrieval in progress. It’s commonly found in news and scientific contexts and has a neutral register. Despite being valid, Ludwig's examples point out the phrase occurs with a relatively low frequency, suggesting that it could be substituted with phrases like "was in the process of being recovered" to achieve a similar effect while diversifying writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was in the process of being recovered

Emphasizes the ongoing action of recovery.

was getting recovered

A more colloquial way to describe the action of being recovered.

was under retrieval

Highlights the state of being actively retrieved.

was being obtained

Focuses on the action of gaining or acquiring something.

was being collected

Emphasizes the gathering aspect of retrieval.

was in the course of recovery

Highlights the progression of recovery over time.

was undergoing extraction

Focuses on the process of taking something out.

was being salvaged

Implies that something was saved from a potentially lost situation.

was being reclaimed

Emphasizes regaining possession of something.

was being extracted

Focuses on the removal or derivation of something.

FAQs

How can I use "was being retrieved" in a sentence?

Use "was being retrieved" to describe an action of retrieval that was in progress at a specific time in the past. For example: "The data "was being retrieved" when the system crashed."

What's a more formal alternative to "was being retrieved"?

A more formal alternative could be "was in the process of being recovered" or "was under retrieval", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "is being retrieved" instead of "was being retrieved"?

No, "is being retrieved" indicates an action happening now. "Was being retrieved" indicates an action that was happening at some point in the past. Ensure you use the correct tense to reflect the timing of the retrieval.

When should I use "was recovered" instead of "was being retrieved"?

"Was recovered" indicates the action is completed, while "was being retrieved" implies the action was in progress. Use "was recovered" when the retrieval is finished, and "was being retrieved" when describing the process.