how things have been

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'how things have been' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something has been happening over a certain period of time; for example: "It's been a while since I've seen you, so I'm interested to hear how things have been going for you lately."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

53 human-written examples

"That's just how things have been going".

The New York Times

Obviously, that's not how things have been working.

The New Yorker

That's how things have been in Christianity right from the start".

The New York Times

But, in many parts of the world, and indeed in America, that is not how things have been received.

The New Yorker

"I think there's some constructive ambiguity in terms of how things have been situated," one of them told me.

The New York Times - Sports

"There still is that component of our culture that very much likes to hold on to how things have been in the past," he said.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

7 human-written examples

This was not exactly how things had been planned.

The New York Times - Arts

I thought about how things had been harder this week than they have for a while.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

A correspondent who had been in Greece in May remarked that that's how things had been there, too.

The Economist

He replied by telling me how things had been for him five years ago, after his first run for mayor.

The New Yorker

Those who today told him that he could have acted differently simply did not know, or had forgotten, how things had been.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "how things have been" to provide context or background information before introducing a change or new development. For example, "Considering how things have been, we need to implement new strategies."

Common error

Avoid using "how things have been" when referring to a single, completed event in the past. Instead, use the simple past tense to describe specific, finished actions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how things have been" functions as a relative clause, often introducing a contextual explanation or background information. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically sound and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "how things have been" is a grammatically correct and highly versatile relative clause frequently used to provide contextual background or explain a situation based on past events. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is indeed valid and usable in a broad spectrum of writing. It is observed in a wide range of sources, especially within news and media, indicating a neutral to slightly formal register. When aiming for alternatives, consider options like "the way it has been" for less formal scenarios or "what has transpired" for more formal communications. Understanding its grammatical function and communicative purpose allows for effective incorporation into writing, ensuring clarity and context. Be mindful of tense consistency and potential misuse in contexts requiring a single, completed action.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the way it has been

This alternative is less formal and puts more emphasis on the manner or method of past events.

what has transpired

This alternative is more formal and focuses on the events that have occurred.

the history of events

This alternative is more descriptive and emphasizes the chronological aspect of past occurrences.

the established norm

This alternative focuses on the conventional or typical way of doing things in the past.

the prior state of affairs

This alternative is very formal and emphasizes the conditions that existed before a change.

the past practices

This alternative highlights the habitual methods or customs from the past.

the historical context

This alternative emphasizes the background and circumstances of past events.

the preceding events

This alternative focuses on the incidents that came before a particular point in time.

the existing procedures

This alternative emphasizes the routines and processes that were in place.

the order of things until now

This alternative is more verbose and highlights the sequence of events up to the present.

FAQs

How can I use "how things have been" in a sentence?

You can use "how things have been" to refer to the state or condition of something over a period, like in the sentence "Given "how things have been", we need to make some changes."

What is a more formal alternative to "how things have been"?

A more formal alternative would be "the preceding events" or "the prior state of affairs" depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "how things had been" instead of "how things have been"?

Yes, "how things had been" is grammatically correct and refers to a past state before another point in the past, while "how things have been" refers to the past leading up to the present.

What's the difference between "how things have been" and "how things are"?

"How things have been" refers to the past and its impact on the present. "How things are" refers to the current state or situation.