have so far

USAGE SUMMARY

'have so far' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to talk about progress already made or to introduce the idea that something will continue in the future. For example, "We have so far raised $7500 for our charity project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Wages have so far remained subdued.

The Economist

Sunderland have so far not commented.

Independent

Rivals have so far resisted following suit.

The New York Times

The measures have so far been underfunded.

The Economist

How many do I have so far?

The New Yorker

The protests have so far been dignified.

The Economist

The police have so far been spared.

The Economist

Such deals have so far proved elusive.

The Economist

Six jurors have so far been selected.

The New York Times

Only 19 have so far been charged.

The Economist

They have so far divided opinion.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "have so far" to emphasize completed progress while implying the possibility of future developments or actions. For instance, "We have so far completed phase one of the project, and are now moving onto phase two."

Common error

While "have so far" is acceptable in most contexts, overusing it can make your writing sound repetitive. Vary your phrasing by using alternatives like "to date" or "up to this point" to add nuance and maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "have so far" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb to indicate the extent or progress of an action up to the present time. As confirmed by Ludwig, this expression is considered grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Academia

4%

Reference

5%

Social Media

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "have so far" serves as an adverbial phrase used to denote the extent of progress or achievement up to the present moment, as confirmed by Ludwig. It commonly appears in neutral contexts like news reports and scientific documents, but also in formal and business communications. While grammatically correct and frequently used, it's beneficial to vary your language by incorporating alternatives such as "to date" or "up to this point" to prevent redundancy. Ludwig's examples demonstrate that its primary function is to provide an update while also implying the possibility of future developments.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

so far

Shortened version with slightly more informal tone.

up to this point

Replaces "have so far" by focusing on the time frame until the present moment.

thus far

Similar to "have so far", but gives a slightly more formal tone.

to date

Another formal alternative, implying a cumulative record until the current date.

until now

Focuses on the continuation of a situation up to the present.

as of yet

Emphasizes that something might change in the future.

up till now

Variant of 'until now', but can sometimes imply a change is expected.

until the present

Stresses the length of time considered to reach this point.

in the interim

Highlights the time elapsed between two events or points.

in the meantime

Similar to 'in the interim', focusing on the period between events.

FAQs

How can I use "have so far" in a sentence?

The phrase "have so far" is used to indicate progress or achievements up to the present moment, often suggesting that more will follow. For example, "We "have so far" raised $10,000 for the charity campaign."

What are some alternatives to "have so far"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "up to this point", "thus far", or "to date" to express a similar meaning.

Is it correct to say "so far, we have" instead of "we have so far"?

Both "so far, we have" and "we "have so far"" are grammatically correct, but the placement of "so far" can slightly alter the emphasis. Placing "so far" at the beginning can draw more attention to the time aspect.

What's the difference between "have so far" and "have already"?

"Have already" emphasizes that something has been completed, while ""have so far"" emphasizes the progress made up to now, implying that more might happen in the future. For example, "We have already finished the report" versus "We "have so far" gathered enough data to start the analysis".