it has been weeks

USAGE SUMMARY

"it has been weeks" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to indicate that a significant amount of time has passed. For example, "It has been weeks since I last talked to my best friend."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

Though it has been weeks since the C.D.C. raised its official estimate of swine flu cases, Dr. Butler acknowledged that millions of people had been infected.

The New York Times

It has been weeks now since Mr. Romney's rivals first sought to make an issue of his wealth, and questions about it are likely to come up again.

The New York Times

The man is not feeling well; it has been weeks since he has been able to take his medications for hypertension and gastrointestinal disorders.

The New York Times - Health

It has been weeks since President Obama spoke out about the need for a serious climate bill to address the very real danger of global warming and to lessen this country's dependence on imported oil.

The New York Times

The Giants have a more multifaceted offense than either the Ravens' or the Broncos', and it has been weeks since the Patriots have faced receivers, or a quarterback, of Manning's caliber.

The New York Times

The Giants have a more multifaceted offense than either the Ravens' or the Broncos', and it has been weeks since the Patriots have faced receivers of their caliber, or a quarterback of Manning's.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

It had been weeks since she had stood.

Los Angeles Times

It had been weeks, maybe even months, before anyone noticed.

Huffington Post

It could have been weeks, but also whole months.

The New York Times - Health

"I thought it would have been weeks ago," Nady said.

The New York Times - Sports

It has been three weeks since he joined, two weeks since his official start date.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "it has been weeks", ensure the context clearly indicates what event or point in time you are referencing. For example, "It has been weeks since the last software update."

Common error

Avoid using "it has been weeks" when you mean to convey a very short duration; this phrase is most effective when emphasizing a noticeable absence or duration.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it has been weeks" functions as an expression of time elapsed. According to Ludwig AI, it indicates that a notable duration, specifically multiple weeks, has passed since a specific event or point in time. It sets a temporal context for a situation or event.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it has been weeks" is a grammatically correct and usable expression used to indicate that a period of several weeks has passed since a specific event. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is primarily found in News & Media contexts and serves to emphasize duration. While alternatives like "several weeks have passed" exist, "it has been weeks" provides a clear and concise way to convey the passage of time in a neutral register.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it's been a few weeks

Shortens "it has been weeks" to "it's been a few weeks", making it more casual.

several weeks have passed

Replaces "it has been" with "several weeks have passed", emphasizing the completion of the time period.

it's been several weeks now

Adds "now" to emphasize the current relevance of the time passed.

a number of weeks have passed

Substitutes "a few" with "a number of", sounding a bit more precise.

a few weeks have gone by

Uses "a few weeks have gone by" instead of "it has been weeks", focusing on the movement of time.

the last few weeks have gone by

Highlights that it concerns a period ended in the recent past.

weeks have elapsed

Employs the more formal term "elapsed" to indicate the passing of time.

we are several weeks in

Phrases the time passed in terms of progress in a process, project or similar.

some weeks have transpired

Replaces "passed" with "transpired", giving it a slightly more formal tone.

weeks have crept by

Introduces the idea that time has passed slowly or almost unnoticed.

FAQs

How can I use "it has been weeks" in a sentence?

You can use "it has been weeks" to indicate that a period of several weeks has passed since a specific event. For example, "It has been weeks since we last spoke."

What's a more formal alternative to "it has been weeks"?

A more formal alternative is "several weeks have elapsed", which uses more sophisticated vocabulary.

Is "it's been weeks" the same as "it has been weeks"?

Yes, "it's been weeks" is a contraction of "it has been weeks" and carries the same meaning, but it's slightly less formal.

How does the meaning of "it has been weeks" change with different verbs in the sentence?

The meaning doesn't change, but the impact does. For example, "It has been weeks since the incident" emphasizes the time passed, and it implies the event might now be in the past or forgotten.