"had been sent" vs "was sent"

Question

"had been sent" vs "was sent"

Both 'was sent' and 'had been sent' are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Was sent' is used to describe a past action that happened at a specific time, while 'had been sent' is used to indicate an action that occurred before another past action. The choice between them depends on the context of the sentence.

Last Updated: March 21, 2024

Use 'had been sent' to show that something was sent before a specific point in the past. It is a past perfect tense construction.

Examples:

By the time I arrived, the package had been sent.
The report had been sent before the meeting started.
She realized the email had been sent to the wrong person.

Alternatives:

had got sent
had been dispatched
had been delivered

Use 'was sent' to indicate that something was sent in the past at a specific time. It is a simple past tense construction.

Examples:

The package was sent yesterday.
The email was sent by mistake.
The letter was sent to the wrong address.

Alternatives:

got sent
was dispatched
was delivered

Answer 1

had been sent

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

Answer 2

was sent

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to describe a past action that happened at a specific time.

"had been sent" vs "was sent"

had been sent

was sent

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