how quickly time has passed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'how quickly time has passed' is a perfectly acceptable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use this phrase to refer to something that happened in the past that seemed to take a long time but is now already over. For example: "We've been working on this project for almost a year, but it feels like it was yesterday - how quickly time has passed!".

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

I'm over halfway through my internship and I can't believe how quickly time has passed.

Duke University

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The photographer arrived upon the concept for his bittersweet series after a conversation with an 80-year-old World War II veteran who couldn't believe how quickly time had passed.

Huffington Post

Putting on music in the background is a great way to help time pass quickly while playing a solo game, as well as keep track of how much time has passed.

WikiHow

How much time has passed?

The New York Times - Arts

Usually the answer depends on how much time has passed.

The Washington Post

However, simply sustaining neural activity does not carry information about how much time has passed.

eLife

How quickly times have changed.

The New York Times

Wilson wrote: "Contemplate just how quickly times have changed.

The New York Times

I still cannot believe the time has passed so quickly.

BBC

The idea that time has passed that quickly — that fast!

Huffington Post

When that time has passed, walk back quickly to your origin point to cool down.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "how quickly time has passed" to express a sense of surprise or reflection about the speed at which events have unfolded. For example, after a long project or significant life event.

Common error

Avoid using future tenses with this phrase. "How quickly time will pass" is generally incorrect, as the phrase reflects on time that has already passed. Instead, use past perfect tenses to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how quickly time has passed" functions as a relative clause, often used to introduce a reflective or exclamatory statement about the speed at which time has progressed. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Academia

25%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Science

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "how quickly time has passed" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase that serves as a relative clause to express surprise or reflection on the swift progression of time. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. Predominantly found in News & Media, Academia, and Wiki contexts, it communicates a personal observation about the speed of events. Remember to use past tenses correctly and consider related phrases like "how fast time has gone" or "how rapidly time has elapsed" for nuanced expression. The phrase is considered to be in neutral register as per source analysis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

how fast time has gone

Replaces "passed" with "gone", focusing on the departure of time.

how rapidly time has elapsed

Substitutes "quickly" with "rapidly" and "passed" with "elapsed", adding a formal tone.

how swiftly time has flown

Replaces "quickly" with "swiftly" and "passed" with "flown", using a more poetic expression.

how short the time has felt

Shifts the focus to the subjective feeling of time being short.

how the years have slipped by

Uses "years" instead of "time" and "slipped by" to convey a gradual and unnoticed passing.

how time has marched on

Employs "marched on" to emphasize the relentless and forward progression of time.

how fleeting time has been

Highlights the transient and ephemeral nature of time.

how time has disappeared

Emphasizes the feeling of time vanishing or being lost.

how the moments have sped by

Focuses on individual moments passing very rapidly.

how time has vanished so quickly

Replaces "passed" with "vanished" adding intensity of time passing, it also add "so quickly" for emphasis

FAQs

What does "how quickly time has passed" mean?

It expresses surprise or reflection on the rapid passage of time, often used when looking back on events that seem to have occurred faster than expected.

What can I say instead of "how quickly time has passed"?

You can use alternatives like "how fast time has gone", "how rapidly time has elapsed", or "how swiftly time has flown", depending on the context.

Is "how quickly time passes" the same as "how quickly time has passed"?

No, "how quickly time passes" is in the present tense and refers to the general perception of time's speed. "How quickly time has passed" reflects on a specific period that has already concluded.

How do I use "how quickly time has passed" in a sentence?

You can use it to introduce a reflective statement. For example, "We started this project five years ago, and I can't believe how quickly time has passed!"