has been retrieving

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "has been retrieving" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an ongoing action that started in the past and continues into the present, often in contexts related to data or information retrieval. Example: "The system has been retrieving data from the server for the last hour."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The party, whose military wing has been retrieving the militants, guaranteed the fighters safe passage through the old battlefield.

The New York Times

A company called Broadway Theater Archive has been retrieving and restoring hundreds of such productions, originating mostly on public television, but going back to the golden age of the 1950's.

The New York Times

A transit van-sized remotely operated vehicle has been retrieving fragments of the irradiated nuclear fuel.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

DNA has been retrieved once before from a brown bear track, but the results have yet to be published.

The Guardian

Some of the inventory and records were confiscated in Europe, although much has been retrieved over the years.

The New York Times - Arts

To date, only a small fraction of the stored video has been retrieved for such intelligence purposes.

The New York Times

The true position has been retrieved manually.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

A total of 1092 hospital files has been retrieved.

Transfusion Clinique et Biologique

Again, the true position has been retrieved manually.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

In this table, the true position has been retrieved manually.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

The true face position has been retrieved manually.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "has been retrieving", ensure the context clearly indicates a process that started in the past and continues to the present. This emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action.

Common error

Avoid using "has been retrieving" when the action is completed or occurred at a specific point in the past. Use a simple past tense such as "retrieved" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "has been retrieving" functions as a present perfect progressive verb phrase. It indicates an action that began in the past and continues into the present. Ludwig confirms that is a standard verb tense used to indicate an ongoing action.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "has been retrieving" is a present perfect progressive verb construction used to describe an action that started in the past and continues to the present. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness. It's most frequently found in news and media, as well as scientific contexts, indicating an ongoing process of recovering or obtaining something. While grammatically sound, "has been retrieving" has a relatively low frequency, so consider context-appropriate synonyms like "has been collecting" or "has been recovering" for variety. The most common mistake is using it when a simple past tense like "retrieved" is more appropriate for completed actions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has been recovering

Replaces "retrieving" with "recovering", focusing on regaining something lost.

has been collecting

Substitutes "retrieving" with "collecting", indicating a gathering of items or information.

has been gathering

Uses "gathering" instead of "retrieving", suggesting an accumulation of something.

has been extracting

Replaces "retrieving" with "extracting", implying a removal or obtaining of something from a source.

has been reclaiming

Uses "reclaiming" instead of "retrieving", focusing on regaining possession.

has been fetching

Substitutes "retrieving" with "fetching", suggesting a quick or simple act of getting something.

has been salvaging

Replaces "retrieving" with "salvaging", implying the saving of something from destruction or loss.

has been obtaining

Uses "obtaining" instead of "retrieving", focusing on the act of gaining or acquiring something.

has been regaining

Substitutes "retrieving" with "regaining", highlighting the act of getting something back.

has been sourcing

Replaces "retrieving" with "sourcing", focusing on identifying and obtaining something from a specific source.

FAQs

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

Use "has been retrieving" to describe an ongoing process of getting something back or accessing information. For example, "The system "has been retrieving" data from the server all morning".

What are some alternatives to "has been retrieving"?

Alternatives include "has been recovering", "has been collecting", or "has been gathering", depending on the specific context.

When should I use "retrieved" instead of "has been retrieving"?

Use "retrieved" when the action is completed. Use "has been retrieving" when the action started in the past and is still ongoing. For example: "The file was retrieved yesterday" vs "The system "has been retrieving" files all day".

Is "is retrieving" interchangeable with "has been retrieving"?

"Is retrieving" describes an action happening now, while "has been retrieving" describes an action that started in the past and continues to the present. "The software is retrieving data right now" versus "The software "has been retrieving" data since this morning".