has been discussing

USAGE SUMMARY

"has been discussing" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used when referring to something that has been talked about over a period of time in the past. For example, "The team has been discussing the new project for the past few weeks."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Nobody has been discussing policies.

The Economist

Specifically, Mr. Avella has been discussing development in the district.

The New York Times

The life-science domain has been discussing the merits of data integration for several years.

BIOSILICO

For the past three years, Mexico's Congress has been discussing the whole issue.

The Economist

Bharti Enterprises has been discussing a similar deal with Tesco and most recently with Wal-Mart.

The Economist

The ministry has been discussing the measures with banks for weeks, the spokesman said.

The New York Times

The Legislature has been discussing issues affecting horse racing and racinos for years.

The New York Times

As with Sessions, the White House also has been discussing possible replacements for her.

The Washington Post

But as the Washington Post reported Tuesday, the White House has been discussing airstrikes in Syria.

The Washington Post

Dr Hemery also has a personal blog where he has been discussing ash dieback.

The Guardian

But he has been discussing with the board, he said, whether he will retire on schedule.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "has been discussing", ensure the context clearly indicates what has been talked about, and with whom. For example: "The committee has been discussing the budget cuts with the finance department."

Common error

Avoid using "has been discussing" when referring to a single, completed conversation. Instead, use "discussed". For instance, instead of "He has been discussing the matter yesterday", say "He discussed the matter yesterday".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "has been discussing" serves as a verb phrase indicating an ongoing or repeated action of talking about something. Ludwig AI affirms this with numerous examples across diverse contexts, showcasing its active role in conveying continuous dialogue. It combines the auxiliary verbs "has been" with the present participle "discussing", creating the present perfect continuous tense.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

77%

Academia

13%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "has been discussing" is a grammatically correct and very common verb phrase used to indicate ongoing conversations or deliberations. Ludwig AI’s analysis, supported by numerous real-world examples, shows the phrase is predominantly found in news and media, academia, and science. It serves to communicate that a discussion has been in progress over a period, often implying unresolved issues or continuous refinement. When using "has been discussing", ensure the context clearly indicates what has been talked about and with whom, and avoid using it to describe single, completed conversations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has been considering

Focuses on the internal thought process rather than external communication.

has been in talks about

Emphasizes the act of formal negotiations or discussions.

has been negotiating

Highlights the bargaining aspect of the discussion.

has been exploring

Suggests a more open-ended and investigatory discussion.

has been addressing

Indicates a focus on resolving or managing specific issues.

has been examining

Emphasizes a detailed and careful investigation.

has been reviewing

Focuses on re-evaluating information that is already known.

has been contemplating

Implies a deep, thoughtful consideration, often internal.

has been mulling over

Suggests a casual, reflective consideration of a topic.

has been thinking about

Indicates a general consideration without necessarily involving others.

FAQs

How do I use "has been discussing" in a sentence?

Use "has been discussing" to describe ongoing or repeated conversations. For example, "The board "has been discussing the merger" for months."

What's the difference between "has been discussing" and "discussed"?

"Has been discussing" implies a continuing or repeated action, while "discussed" refers to a completed action in the past. For example, "They "have been discussing the issue" for weeks" versus "They "discussed the issue yesterday"".

What can I say instead of "has been discussing"?

You can use alternatives like "has been considering", "has been in talks about", or "has been negotiating" depending on the context.

Is "has been discussing about" grammatically correct?

No, "has been discussing about" is redundant. The word "discussing" already implies "about". The correct phrase is "has been discussing". For example, "The team "has been discussing the project"" is correct.