has been decreasing since

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence "has been decreasing since" is correct and usable in written English.
It is used to indicate that an amount has been decreasing, usually over a period of time. For example, "The number of customers at the store has been decreasing since it opened six months ago."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

33 human-written examples

Tasmania's rainfall has been decreasing since the 1970s, accompanied by a rise in annual average temperature of half a degree.

The Guardian

This percentage has been decreasing since 2007, while the percentage of white Democrats who agree has been increasing.

The New York Times

The number of happy faces on Lego toy mini-figures has been decreasing since the 1990s, and the number of angry faces has increased, giving rise to concerns that children could be affected by the negativity of the toys.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

France successfully avoided a recession in 2010 to 2011, but its trade balance has been decreasing since 1997 and its external debt rose sharply in 2011, the report said.

The New York Times

The number of Shintō shrines has been decreasing since the beginning of the Meiji era, in part because a municipal unification plan in 1889 called for the shrines of tutelary kami to be combined with the municipality.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Our analysis also indicated that pop music's variety of timbre has been decreasing since the 1960s, meaning that artists and composers tend to stick to the same sound qualities — in other words, instruments playing the same notes sound more similar than they once did.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

27 human-written examples

Our findings confirm that regional economic disparity has been decreased since the development of HSR.

Journal of Transport Geography

The new estimate for the global radiative forcing from TSI has been decreased since earlier IPCC reports and is on a global mean basis very small with 0.05 Wm −2 (relative to year 1750).

Progress in Earth and Planetary Science

The death toll from terrorism has risen from the hundreds in the early 2000s to more than 11,000 in 2009 and – while fatalities have been decreasing since then – last year saw 3,682 lives lost.

The Guardian - Travel

Ho et al. (2004) proved through a statistical change-point analysis that the annual frequency of TCs in the East China Sea had been decreasing since the mid-1970s and that the decreasing trend was more distinct around the Philippines.

Geoscience Letters

While rates of offenders under community supervision have been decreasing since 2007, probationers and parolees still account for the largest segment of the criminal justice system--nearly three times that of incarceration populations (Herberman & Bonczar 2014).

Health & Justice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "has been decreasing since", ensure that the time frame is clearly defined to provide context. For example, specify "since 2010" or "since the introduction of the new policy".

Common error

Avoid using the simple past tense (e.g., "decreased since") when the action is ongoing. The present perfect continuous tense ("has been decreasing since") emphasizes the continuation of the decrease over time.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "has been decreasing since" functions as a verb phrase indicating a continuous action that started in the past and is still ongoing. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and effectively conveys a trend over time.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

32%

Wiki

9%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

6%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "has been decreasing since" is a grammatically sound and commonly used verb phrase to describe a continuous decline that began at a specific point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. It is versatile, appearing across various contexts, including science, news, and encyclopedias. When using this phrase, ensure clarity in the timeframe to provide context and avoid substituting it with the simple past tense unless the decrease is truly completed. Consider alternatives like "has declined from" or "is in decline since" for nuanced variations in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has declined from

This alternative uses "declined" instead of "decreasing" and "from" to specify the starting point.

has diminished after

This alternative uses "diminished" instead of "decreasing" and "after" as a temporal preposition.

has lessened since

This alternative uses "lessened" which implies a reduction in intensity or degree.

has fallen from

This alternative uses "fallen" instead of "decreasing", implying a drop.

has receded since

This alternative uses "receded", suggesting a gradual withdrawal or decline.

has shrunk since

This alternative uses "shrunk" to mean became or made smaller in size or amount.

has eroded from

This alternative uses "eroded" to imply a gradual wearing away or deterioration.

has tapered off from

This alternative uses "tapered off", suggesting a gradual reduction.

is in decline since

This alternative uses the continuous form "is in decline" to describe ongoing process and specifies the beginning of the period.

shows a downtrend since

This alternative uses "shows a downtrend" to specifically indicate the long-term movement is downward.

FAQs

How can I use "has been decreasing since" in a sentence?

Use "has been decreasing since" to indicate a continuous decline that began at a specific time. For instance, "The company's profits "has been decreasing since" the new regulations were implemented."

What are some alternatives to "has been decreasing since"?

Alternatives include "has declined from", "has diminished after", or "is in decline since", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "decreased since" instead of "has been decreasing since"?

While "decreased since" might be understood, ""has been decreasing since"" is grammatically more precise as it indicates an ongoing process that started in the past and continues to the present.

What's the difference between "has decreased since" and "has been decreasing since"?

"Has decreased since" suggests a completed action, while ""has been decreasing since"" emphasizes that the decrease is continuous and ongoing. Use the latter when the decline is still in progress.