The phrase had taken to is part of the past perfect tense in English. It describes an action that was completed before another point or action in the past.
Structure
Subject + had + taken to + [noun/verb-ing]
Common Meanings
- To develop a habit or liking: “She had taken to drinking tea every morning.”
- To begin doing something regularly: “He had taken to walking after dinner.”
- To go toward (less common, often literal): “The bird had taken to the sky before we arrived.”
Example Sentences
- By the time I visited, they had taken to gardening together every weekend.
- After the move, she had taken to calling her old friends less often.
- The cat had taken to sleeping on the windowsill by winter.
Tips for Use
Use had taken to when you need to show that a habit or behavior started and was already established before another past event. Avoid overusing it in simple narratives—reserve it for contexts where sequence matters.