it's been

USAGE SUMMARY

"it's been" is a correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it when describing the amount of time that has passed between two points in time. For example, "It's been 5 years since I graduated from college."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It's been clinical.

The New York Times

It's been very fun.

The New York Times

It's been quite lonely.

The New York Times

It's been sharp.

The New York Times - Sports

It's been memorable!

Independent

It's been horrible (laughs).

The New York Times

It's been very amicable.

Independent

SOPHIE: It's been happening.

The New York Times - Magazine

"It's been really tough.

The New York Times - Sports

It's been horrible.

The New York Times

"It's been forever.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "it's been" to describe a continuous state or action that started in the past and continues to the present. For example, "It's been raining all day."

Common error

Avoid using "it's been" when referring to a completed action in the past that has no relevance to the present. Instead, use the simple past tense. For example, instead of "It's been good to see you yesterday", say "It was good to see you yesterday".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it's been" functions as a present perfect continuous construction. It combines the present perfect tense of "to be" (it's been) with a past participle or adjective to indicate a state or activity that started in the past and continues into the present, like in the Ludwig examples "It's been tough" or "It's been great".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "it's been" is a versatile and commonly used phrase in English to describe ongoing situations or experiences that started in the past and extend to the present. According to Ludwig, it's grammatically correct and predominantly found in news and media contexts. When using "it's been", ensure that the action or state is still relevant to the present and avoid using it for completely finished actions. Remember, it can be replaced with phrases like "it has been" for a slightly more formal tone. Considering Ludwig's examples, the phrase is a very useful tool in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it has been

Formal variation of "it's been" using the full form of 'it is'.

the experience has been

Focuses specifically on the experience itself.

we have had

Shifts the focus to the actor involved and the duration or nature of an experience or situation.

it's transpired that

Focuses on revealing a result.

events have unfolded

Emphasizes the progression of events.

time has passed

Highlights the passage of time as the main focus.

the situation developed

Focuses on how a situation evolved or changed over time.

circumstances evolved

Highlights how circumstances progressed or transformed.

as time elapsed

Emphasizes the measurement of time passing.

the period consisted of

Focuses on the composition of a specific time frame.

FAQs

How can I use "it's been" in a sentence?

Use "it's been" to describe something that started in the past and continues to the present. For example, "it's been a long day" or "it's been raining".

What's a more formal way to say "it's been"?

A more formal alternative is "it has been". This simply uses the full form of the contraction.

What can I say instead of "it's been" to emphasize the difficulty of a situation?

Depending on the context, you could say "it's been challenging", "it's been difficult", or "it's been tough".

How does "it's been" differ from "it was"?

"It's been" describes a state or action that began in the past and continues to the present. "It was", however, refers to something that happened and concluded in the past.