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.

Explained by Vince
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: October 18, 2024 • 11921 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 [+]
Last updated: November 12, 2024

Apr 26, 2024 ... Several meetings were held during the event, such as the ones with the IDB's Finance Department and Office of Risk Management headed by ...
Jul 9, 2018 ... Several meetings were held with CSOs and citizens in 2015 to share ideas for the second action plan. The government ultimately formulated ...
Several meetings were held with the County Sheriff Department and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to ensure the new courthouse ...
In 1996, several meetings were held to discuss the definition, collection process, and categories for the core data, their use in the preparation of country ...
Oct 11, 2024 ... President Lassner and Governor Hattori signed the One Health Memorandum of Understanding in April, 2023. Several meetings were held during 2023 ...
The History of the Alumni Association, during the school year of 1930-31, several meetings were held concerning the organization of a "homecoming" of ...
Several meetings were held with various academic, multilateral, and municipal government stakeholders to organize upcoming activities and to establish a ...
Nov 8, 2018 ... In 2016, several meetings were held in between Barra Longa and Linhares (ES) to survey the damages that occurred, which resulted in the ...
Several meetings were held concerning the 2024 eclipse and the impact it will have, positively and negatively, on the city. These meetings were held by the ...
Feb 22, 2022 ... Lifeguard Tower Locations. Several meetings were held between the Beach Patrol and. Shoreline Departments to ensure efficient and practical ...

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.