have been sold

USAGE SUMMARY

"have been sold" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to something that has been transferred from one owner to another, often in exchange for money. For example, " 250 tickets to the concert have been sold."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Alas, all have been sold.

The New York Times

(American rights have been sold as well).

The New York Times

Even parking meters have been sold.

The New York Times

Several state-owned banks have been sold.

The Economist

A few pictures have been sold.

The New Yorker

Hundreds of millions have been sold.

The New York Times

Even the pubs have been sold.

The Economist

About 1,400 have been sold.

The New York Times - Sports

Serieal rights have been sold to Colliers.

The New Yorker

Over 1m cheap tickets have been sold.

The Economist

Nearly 300,000 memberships have been sold.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "have been sold", ensure the subject clearly indicates what items or entities were sold. This provides clarity and avoids ambiguity in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "have been sell" instead of "have been sold". "Sold" is the past participle of "sell" and is required in the present perfect passive voice.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "have been sold" is to form the passive voice in the present perfect tense. This construction indicates that the subject of the sentence has undergone the action of being sold. Ludwig AI confirms this usage is grammatically sound.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

5%

Less common in

Reference

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "have been sold" is a grammatically correct and very common phrase used to indicate that something has been transferred to a new owner. It functions as a passive construction in the present perfect tense, frequently appearing in News & Media and Formal & Business contexts. While Ludwig AI validates its correctness, it's important to ensure the subject-verb agreement and use the correct past participle form. Remember to avoid the common error of using the base form of the verb, "sell", instead of "sold". This analysis leverages examples from authoritative sources like The New York Times and The Economist, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the phrase's usage.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

were purchased

Focuses on the buyer's action rather than the seller's, emphasizing the act of buying.

were acquired

Implies a more formal or significant transaction, often used in business contexts.

were traded

Emphasizes an exchange, rather than a simple sale, often involving goods or services.

changed hands

Focuses on the transfer of ownership from one party to another.

were disposed of

Suggests getting rid of something, often due to necessity or undesirability.

achieved sales

Shifts focus to the accomplishment of selling, rather than the objects that were sold.

found buyers

Highlights the process of finding someone to buy the item, rather than the sale itself.

cleared inventory

Specifically refers to selling off existing stock, emphasizing reduction of inventory.

were moved

A more general term, implying that items were transferred, but not necessarily sold.

were vended

A less common, slightly archaic term for selling.

FAQs

How is "have been sold" used in a sentence?

"Have been sold" indicates that something has been transferred to a new owner. For example, "All the tickets "have been sold"" means all tickets are purchased.

What are some alternatives to "have been sold"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "were purchased", "were acquired", or "changed hands" as alternatives to "have been sold".

Is it correct to say "has been sold" instead of "have been sold"?

The correct form depends on the subject. Use "has been sold" with singular subjects (e.g., "The house has been sold"), and "have been sold" with plural subjects (e.g., "The houses "have been sold"").

What's the difference between "have been selling" and "have been sold"?

"Have been selling" indicates an ongoing activity of selling (present perfect continuous), while ""have been sold"" indicates a completed action of something being sold (present perfect passive).