would have begun

USAGE SUMMARY

'would have begun' is a perfectly acceptable and common phrase in written English.
You can use it when describing a hypothetical situation in which something did not happen, as in this example: "She would have begun setting the table, had the delivery not arrived late."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

This averted a government shutdown that would have begun Saturday.

The Washington Post

Mr. Obama and his allies would have begun them anyway, Ms. Russell said.

The New York Times

And, like Willy, he lost his job, just 4 years before his pension would have begun.

The New Yorker

Who else would have begun with a quotation from Troilus and Cressida?

The Guardian

The preface would have begun like this: "This book has been composed from the inside out.

The Guardian - Books

A better fitting title would have begun "Once Upon a Time in... ..

The Guardian - Film

He acknowledged that he was wrong in thinking that a recovery would have begun by now.

The New York Times

Without the extension, those benefits would have begun expiring after May 31.

The New York Times

Another Democratic idea would have begun a process for rethinking how environmental regulators coordinate their work.

The New York Times

In his old life, his heart would have begun pounding now in a delayed adrenaline reaction.

The New Yorker

The Legislature overrode the veto, averting a government shutdown that would have begun on Saturday.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "would have begun" to describe hypothetical past actions or events that did not actually occur. Ensure the context clearly indicates the unrealized nature of the action.

Common error

Avoid using "would have begun" when describing actions that definitely happened. Use simple past or past perfect tenses instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "would have begun" functions as a past conditional perfect construction. It expresses a hypothetical action that was supposed to start in the past but did not, often due to an unrealized condition. Ludwig AI confirms its proper grammatical structure and typical use in hypothetical contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Encyclopedias

15%

Science

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "would have begun" is a grammatically correct and very common phrase used to describe hypothetical past actions or events that did not occur. Ludwig AI confirms that it is typically used in hypothetical contexts. Predominantly found in News & Media, encyclopedias, and scientific writing, it maintains a neutral register suitable for various communication settings. Remember to use this phrase when describing unrealized actions in the past and avoid it when describing actions that definitely happened. Related phrases like "would have started" and "would have commenced" can provide alternative phrasing options depending on the desired level of formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

would have started

Replaces "begun" with "started", offering a more common and slightly less formal alternative.

would have commenced

Substitutes "begun" with "commenced", resulting in a more formal and sophisticated tone.

would have initiated

Replaces "begun" with "initiated", emphasizing the act of starting something new or important.

would have launched

Emphasizes the start of something new and significant, such as a product or campaign.

would have set in motion

Focuses on the start of a chain of events or a process.

would have embarked on

Highlights the start of a journey or endeavor, often implying a significant undertaking.

would have undertaken

Instead of beginning, it focuses on undertaking a task, highlighting the commitment to a project.

would have activated

Implies that something would have been made active or operational.

would have triggered

Suggests that something would have caused the start of a process or event.

would have taken effect

Indicates that a rule or policy would have started to be enforced.

FAQs

How can I use "would have begun" in a sentence?

Use "would have begun" to describe a hypothetical action that didn't happen in the past, for example, "The concert "would have begun" on time if the lead singer hadn't been late."

What's a more formal alternative to "would have begun"?

A more formal alternative is "would have commenced", which carries a slightly more sophisticated tone.

Is "would of begun" grammatically correct?

No, "would of begun" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is ""would have begun"", using the auxiliary verb "have".

What is the difference between "would have begun" and "had begun"?

"Would have begun" describes a hypothetical past action, while "had begun" describes an action completed before another point in the past.