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I have previously been portrayed as the villain.

I’ve been previously portrayed as the villain.

Is the second sentence incorrect? The first one sounds more natural but the second one seems correct to me too. Can the second one be used in any scenario or not?

Heartspring
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Dreams23
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  • The default adverb position is after the first auxiliary verb. But most can go after the second or third, as well: I must have been previously portrayed as the villain. – John Lawler Apr 22 '23 at 15:17

1 Answers1

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They are both correct, even if in your second example you do not contract I have.

YourDict has examples with both:

  • When it was entirely consumed, the boundary stone, which had been previously anointed and crowned with garlands, was placed upon the hot ashes and fixed in the ground.
  • He had previously been recalled by the optimates, but ignored the order.

However, most dictionaries only offer examples similar to your first sentence, as it is more formal, more standard.

You are definitely safe in using either. As this Ngram shows, both usages are quite common:

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fev
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