Meaning & use
contraction for they had
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
The short form they'd, used to mean 'they had' before a past participle.
Grammar: They'd can mean 'they had' or 'they would'. A past participle after it shows it means 'they had': they'd left.
Patterns
- they'd + past participle
- they'd better
They'd finished the project before the deadline.
By the time we called, they'd already gone home.
They'd never met before that day.
Common combinations
- they'd already
- They'd already left when we arrived.
- they'd never
- They'd never seen snow before.
- they'd just
- They'd just started eating when the doorbell rang.
- they'd better
- They'd better leave now if they want to catch the bus.
Word family
- they're phrase
- Contraction of 'they are'.
- they've phrase
- Contraction of 'they have'.
- they'll phrase
- Contraction of 'they will'.
Commonly confused: contraction for they had or they would?
contraction for they had vs they would
They'd can mean either 'they had' or 'they would'. If a past participle follows, it means 'they had'; if a base verb follows, it means 'they would'.
Practice
In which sentence does 'they'd' mean 'they had'?
Choose one answer.
In 'They'd eaten', the past participle 'eaten' shows that 'they'd' means 'they had'. The other options use 'they'd' to mean 'they would'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “contraction for they had”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.