has been killed vs had been killed

The phrases "has been killed" and "had been killed" are both correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Has been killed" is used for a recent action that has an impact on the present, while "had been killed" is used for a past action that occurred before another past event. They are not directly comparable as they serve different purposes.

Last updated: March 27, 2024 • 1356 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a recent action that has an impact on the present.

"has been killed"

Use "has been killed" when referring to a recent action of being killed that has relevance to the present moment.

Examples:

The criminal has been killed by the police.
The rumor that the monster has been killed spread quickly through the town.
The dangerous animal has been killed to ensure the safety of the villagers.

Show examples from the web [+]

Your nephew Parris has been killed.
Chloe, yates has been killed.
We know at least one person has been killed at this time.
Jay, do you understand that a woman has been killed.
Singer and actress Aaliyah has been killed In a plane crash over the Bahamas.
Lt Marla Aster, ship's archaeologist, has been killed on a routine mission.
One of my friends has been killed.
I've just heard that Airey Neave has been killed.
No one who followed the rules has been killed.
Unfortunately, your brother Artis has been killed.
That Rajadi Rambhai has been killed on his own chariot.
One of our men has been killed.
Our dealer has been killed by the Yasha-gang.
He has been killed in an ambush near Matagalpa.
Tourism, as I said, has been killed off.
A young woman has been killed, someone's child.
A fourth, an employee who may have been involved has been killed.
But only one man has been killed positively.
A great American has been killed serving his country.
Your partner, Carlos, has been killed.

Alternatives:

was killed
is killed
has died
has been eliminated
has been taken out

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a past action that occurred before another past event.

"had been killed"

Use "had been killed" when referring to a past action of being killed that happened before another event in the past.

Examples:

By the time the police arrived, the criminal had been killed.
The news revealed that the spy had been killed before the mission was completed.
The treasure had been hidden for centuries before it was found.

Show examples from the web [+]

She said the agent in that van had been killed.
When she found out that Felix had been killed she wanted money.
Reuters knew its employees had been killed.
I said that the boy's parents had been killed.
Someone else had stolen the map, a guard had been killed.
You told me Peggy O'Dell had been killed.
Her husband had been killed that day.
A girl whose father had been killed the week before.
Stasiek came home crying... that his father had been killed.
He told me that Mikey had been killed.
I knew that my parents had been killed in Treblinka.
He just came to tell me that Father had been killed.
The day I told you your father had been killed.
They said your entire unit had been killed!
So, when Evan came to me and told me what happened, two of our own people had been killed...
When my brother Derrick called to say that Grammy had been killed by a meteorite, I thought he was playing one of his jokes.
10 months ago, I was a mess... because my friend Carl had been killed... and I was looking for someone to blame.
The Calaveras heard that Kate had been killed by an Alpha's claws.
And Wilf was going to the police with evidence that the workers had been killed.
And this is where she collapsed when we got the news that Kenji had been killed in Italy.

Alternatives:

had died
had been eliminated
had been taken out

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has been killed vs had been killed

"has been killed"

"had been killed"

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