several meetings were held vs several meetings had been held

Both options are correct, but they are different in tense. 'Several meetings were held' is used to describe past events without specifying a particular time frame, while 'several meetings had been held' is used to indicate that several meetings occurred before another point in the past.

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Last updated: October 18, 2024 • 11909 views

several meetings were held

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to describe past events without specifying a particular time frame.

This phrase is used to indicate that multiple meetings took place in the past without specifying when they occurred.

Examples:

Several meetings were held to discuss the new project.
Several meetings were held last month to address the issue.
Several meetings were held throughout the year to monitor progress.
Several meetings were held in different locations to accommodate all participants.
Several meetings were held virtually due to the pandemic.

Show examples from the web [+]

A formal démarche was launched by the EU delegation in Buenos Aires and several meetings were held with the mission of Argentina and its Ambassador in Brussels to express our strongest concerns.
Several meetings were held by the various EU directorates-general to hammer out agreement on the sport-related aspects of each policy area.
During the Commission's Tetra I investigation, field tests were being carried out and several management meetings were held.
Several working meetings were held between France and the Commission in September 2003 in connection with which working documents were submitted to the Commission by France.
In April and May 2004, several working meetings were held between France and the Commission, the aim being to discuss an adjustment to the financial package initially proposed by France and compensatory measures necessary for approval of the aid.
(5) Several working meetings were held between France and the Commission in September 2003 in connection with which working documents were submitted to the Commission by France.
Commissioner Fischler held several meetings with the highest authorities in Morocco.
The WTO Council for TRIPS has held several meetings recently.
Several meetings have already been held with, among others, the shadow rapporteurs so as to enable everyone's views to be taken into account.
The Tenth Interparliamentary Conference between the European Parliament and New Zealand started yesterday and several meetings have already been held.
Following the Viareggio accident the Commission and the European Railway Agency held several meetings with all the parties concerned (national safety authorities, railway undertakings, wagon keepers, manufacturers).
As I have said, we have held several meetings at which we have discussed options and proposals about the problems that we are debating here today.
Several meetings have been held, the more controversial points have been negotiated and there have been concessions from all sides.
Furthermore, as chairperson of this committee, I have held several meetings on this disease, together with the rapporteur, Mr Kreissl-Dörfler, with experts and top officials from non-Community countries, such as Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil.
Following this, meetings were held with several third country governments and/or their exporters, around 50 of whom submitted information to the Commission.
In the first half of 2010, informal meetings were held with the European Parliament on several occasions.
Several meetings of a conciliation board with consumer organisations were held and the methods and the timing for the submission of requests for refunds to citizens who have suffered losses or damage due to the computer problems have been determined.
Several meetings between the Polish authorities and the Commission were held on 27 June 2007, 20 July 2007, 26 September 2007 and 25 July 2008.
Such meetings were held under the Austrian and German Presidencies.
Two of these meetings were held by means of a teleconference.

Alternatives:

Several meetings took place
Several meetings occurred
Several meetings happened

several meetings had been held

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate that the meetings occurred before another point in the past.

This phrase is used to show that multiple meetings had already taken place before a specific time or event in the past.