there was an error vs there had been an error with

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'There was an error' is used to describe a past event simply, while 'There had been an error with' is used to indicate a past event that occurred before another past event. The choice between the two depends on the specific timeline you are referring to.

Last updated: March 15, 2024 • 1194 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to describe a past event.

"there was an error"

This phrase is used to state that an error occurred in the past without specifying a particular time frame.

Examples:

There was an error in the system.
I was told there was an error in the report.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 18, 2024

Apr 4, 2015 ... Solved: Hi, I am having issues downloading a folder in Dropbox. It comes up with the error "there was an error downloading your file".
Jul 11, 2024 ... 17 votes, 39 comments. When I try posting something on my computer it says "There was an error. Please try again later".
Dec 5, 2022 ... When I try access the hosted feature layer to see and update the data, I get this error message that says "There was an error publishing the service."
May 23, 2024 ... Whenever I do a search it comes back with no results and a message which states: "There was an error displaying the search results. Please ...
Jun 1, 2023 ... There was an error reconnecting to the Chrome DevTools protocol. Please restart the browser. Also reported in stackoverflow [https:// ...
Dec 20, 2011 ... There was an error while copying to the Clipboard.... 2. Upvote. There was an error while copying to the Clipboard. An internal error occurred.
Jul 30, 2020 ... There was an error reading the rules from the server. The format of the server rules was not recognized. I have recently been upgraded by my ...
Jan 23, 2024 ... Persistent Error in Adobe InDesign: 'There Was an Error Updating the Artifact ... When I go to update a review link in InDesign, I keep getting ...
Aug 6, 2014 ... There was an error saving. I can't saving changes. Checked my perms via ls -l. Look fine. Was working OK yesterday. deleted-user-120796 | 52 ...
Oct 13, 2020 ... When I try to click on them, I get the following error: There was an error opening this document. The file cannot be accessed by the system. I' ...

Alternatives:

There was a mistake.
An error occurred.
An error was made.

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

"there had been an error with"

This phrase is used when you want to emphasize that an error had occurred prior to another event in the past.

Examples:

There had been an error with the previous version of the software.
She realized there had been an error with the calculations.

Show examples from the web [+]

There was a message from zotero that there had been an error with the sync. I sent the report and the report ID is 300150073. What do I need to ...
May 9, 2014 ... Several hours later, the players were pulled off the field 45 minutes into practice and told there had been an error with the wild-card points.
May 7, 2014 ... She was right and there had been an error with the initial measurement and the baby's legs are still very long. Given we are both tall this is not ...
Aug 25, 2014 ... As a pensioner, I got a bill for $1600 out of the blue and a form letter saying there had been an error with my usage going back two years.

Alternatives:

There was an error with
An error had occurred with
An error had been made with

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there was an error vs there had been an error with