have encountered vs had encountered

Both "have encountered" and "had encountered" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Have encountered" is used to talk about experiences or situations that have happened recently or are still ongoing. On the other hand, "had encountered" is used to refer to experiences or situations that occurred in the past before a specific point in time.

Last updated: April 08, 2024 • 2599 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to talk about experiences or situations that have happened recently or are still ongoing.

"have encountered"

Use "have encountered" when referring to experiences or situations that have happened recently or are still ongoing. This phrase is in the present perfect tense.

Examples:

I have encountered many challenges in my new job.
She has encountered some difficulties while learning to play the piano.
Have you encountered any problems with the new software?
The team has encountered unexpected obstacles during the project.
They have encountered a lot of resistance to their ideas.

Show examples from the web [+]

We have encountered something like this before.
Some innovative SMEs have encountered serious obstacles in developing new standards.
I believe that this directive can resolve the serious problems which consumers have encountered with long-term holiday products.
With your permission, my master... I have encountered a vergence in the Force.
I myself have encountered infinite stupidity.
People who believe that they have encountered the Devil or...
How much opposition must MS Group have encountered to have their homepage go down.
I have encountered many dark beings in my time, Dipper.
I have encountered some, but a lot less than I expected.
It appears we may have encountered a new life-form.
We have encountered light and life!
We have encountered some problems with the amendments on liquidation and bankruptcy.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have encountered a difficulty.
Both countries have encountered problems, which can nevertheless be overcome.
There is no doubt that ancient civilizations must have encountered dinosaur remains.
First, let's end up your curiosity answering why you probably have encountered this situation.
Only those who have encountered the Lord become His effective propagators.
I have encountered the Father and I am happy about it.
The international community knows the difficulties which they have encountered.

Alternatives:

have experienced
have faced
have come across
have met with
have run into

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to refer to experiences or situations that occurred in the past before a specific point in time.

"had encountered"

Use "had encountered" when referring to experiences or situations that occurred in the past before a specific point in time. This phrase is in the past perfect tense.

Examples:

She had encountered similar problems in her previous job.
Before the accident, they had encountered heavy traffic on the highway.
He realized he had encountered the same person before.
By the time we arrived, they had encountered many difficulties.
The explorers had encountered dangerous animals in the jungle.

Show examples from the web [+]

While the film does not reflect Bakshi's own experiences, its themes were strongly influenced by individuals he had encountered in Brownsville.
Davies wrote a letter in 1757 in which he refers to the religious zeal of an enslaved man whom he had encountered during his journey.
Already when the Romans took power over the Apennine peninsula, they had encountered various Greek groups.
Despite his numerical superiority, al-Afdal's army was hardly as strong or dangerous as the Seljuk armies that the crusaders had encountered previously.
I would listen to self-made tape recordings of outstanding verse that I had encountered in my college courses and, by repetition, would commit them to memory.
At the same place, a few months before, I had encountered a child, whom I asked if he knew the Hail Mary.
Meanwhile, the Japanese had encountered stiff resistance at their assigned gate and were subjecting it to an artillery barrage.
In addition, they indicated that the investigations into the Afriqiyah Airways accident had encountered difficulties and have not led to conclusions so far.
The colonel explained that his regiment had encountered much resistance on the Loire where the cadets from Saumur fought very courageously.
On the way he had encountered a young woman who wanted to commit suicide and had accompanied her to hospital.
With derision he pointed out that the finaliters had encountered a destiny no more glorious than to be returned to humble spheres similar to those of their origin.
These natural tendencies had been augmented by numerous difficult circumstances which the lad had encountered as he grew up, notably, the loss of his father when he was twelve years of age.
Henri Guillaumet, one of Mermoz's fellow pilots, had encountered the same problem a few months before, but as his own engine was on the forward side, airspeed had been sufficient to maintain the propeller in place until the landing.
I had no idea what as86 was, but I entered it as the keyword in the Subject field of the Advanced Groups Search, and was presented with a large number of posts from folks who had encountered the same problem.
Would people one day remember the skepticism I had encountered, even from other Revisionists?
The balance of the losses in 2002, EUR 96,6 million, stemmed from reductions in value and provisions within the context of the necessary adjustment of the accounts following the problems which the company had encountered in France and Belgium.
He had learned of Malacca from one Guaspare (or Gaspard), a pilot with Pedro Álvares Cabral's fleet on its voyage to India in 1500-1501, whom Vespucci had encountered in the Atlantic on his return from India in May 1501.
For people who have a low credit score or had encountered some serious credit problems in the past and need to buy a car, then, they have to apply for the so-called bad credit used car auto loan.
Prior to the authorisation to apply the reverse charge to the supplies of wood products, Romania had encountered problems in the timber market because of the nature of that market and the businesses involved.
But when I heard of her passing, I looked her up and discovered that I had encountered her patterns a number of times!

Alternatives:

had experienced
had faced
had come across
had met with
had run into

How TextRanch works

Fast and reliable proofreading, editing, and language advice tailored to your needs.

1. Choose Your Service

Quick Text Editing

Emails and short texts
Proofreading & editing
Ready in 5-10 minutes

SUBMIT YOUR TEXT NOW

Document Editing

Documents of any type (*.docx)
Advanced & Premium editing
Ready in as little as 4 hours

UPLOAD YOUR DOCUMENT

Ask an Editor

Personalized answers to your language questions
Expert guidance on grammar, style, and usage
Ready in 24 hours

ASK YOUR QUESTION

Upload your document or paste your text directly into our platform. Your text is reviewed and refined by our expert editors (real people, not machines) who understand the nuances of English. Expect corrections, improvements, and insightful suggestions that enhance the clarity, tone, and professionalism of your writing.

3. Receive Your Polished Text

In just a few minutes (or hours for longer documents), you'll receive your corrected text. Review the changes, make any final adjustments, and confidently share your polished English with the world.
You can count on a personalized, friendly service every time you use TextRanch. We're committed to helping you make a great impression with every word you write.

We proofread and edit these types of texts and documents:

Short texts Business Emails Personal Emails Social media posts Resume and Curriculum Vitae Business documents Sales proposal Research and academic papers Thesis Dissertation Essays Articles Blog posts and much more....

Our Customers Love Us!

We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283125 votes, and

4.9 Excellent - Reviews 2.137

"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"

Zubair
from Bangladesh

"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"

Arturo
from Mexico

"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."

Selena
from USA

"Wow, it's just so excellent. I never would have believed I could have a sure and excellent English companion. Thanks, TextRanch."

Ifiok
from Nigeria

"This is my first time using TextRanch, and I like how the editors take time to correct my text. To everyone who has never used TextRanch before, I highly recommend trying it."

Wilson
from France

"It is an amazing source of feedback because, as a non-native speaker, I really need to have a reliable helper correct my text."

Susan
from Germany

have encountered vs had encountered