grammar · neutral
had been + past participle
Past perfect passive: an action that was completed (passively) before another past time or event.
Examples
“By the time I arrived, the report had been finished.”
“The letters had been sent before the meeting started.”
“Nobody realised the error had been made days earlier.”
Band 8 sentence
“By the time inspectors arrived, the faulty equipment had been replaced, which prevented further delays.”
Collocations
- had been completed
- had been informed
- had been available
Common mistakes
They have been informed before the meeting.→They had been informed before the meeting.
The results had announced before anyone checked them.→The results had been announced before anyone checked them.
Say it for a higher band
5was + past participle→6have/has been + past participle→7+had been + past participle
Easily confused
have/has been + past participle
“She has been promoted recently.”
Related words
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In The passive
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