so have been

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "so have been" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something has been true or has occurred continuously up to the present time. Example: "They have been working hard, and so have been their colleagues."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Only 60 or so have been charged.

The Economist

Efforts to do so have been negligible so far.

The New York Times

Its chances of doing so have been widely mocked.

The Guardian - Opinion

Bills to do so have been introduced in both the House and Senate.

The New York Times - Health

However, previous efforts by Congress to do so have been met with huge political resistance.

The New York Times

Efforts to do so have been slowed by both technical and political concerns.

The New York Times

The loans by which it did so have been "restructured" to allow delayed repayment.

The Economist

"Ferrari qualified high in Malaysia so have been on our radar all year long.

Independent

I receive a final-salary teaching pension, so have been left reasonably comfortable.

Independent

But no one has moved there, and only 30,000 acres or so have been planted.

The New York Times

Then again, Australian prime minister's wives who have done so have been few and far between.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "so have been" to efficiently indicate agreement or continuation of a previous statement. For instance, if stating multiple conditions that require attention, use "so have been" to shorten the sentences that follow.

Common error

Avoid using "so have been" merely as a simple affirmative response. It's best suited for contexts where you're implying a parallel action or state that has continued or occurred in a similar manner to something previously mentioned.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "so have been" serves as an elliptical construction indicating agreement or continuation of a state or action. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a grammatically sound way to show that something is also true for another subject.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "so have been" is a grammatically correct and versatile construction used to indicate agreement or continuation of a condition or action, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It is particularly common in news, media, and science contexts. When using it, ensure it accurately reflects a parallel situation or state, and avoid using it as a mere affirmation. The phrase offers a concise way to relate different parts of text in an efficient way.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

similarly, there have been

This alternative highlights the similarity in the existence or occurrence of something.

likewise, have there been

This alternative emphasizes the parallel nature of events or conditions.

in the same vein, there have been

This alternative suggests a continuation of a particular style or approach.

correspondingly, there have been

This alternative indicates a direct relationship or correspondence between events.

as a result, there have been

This alternative indicates that subsequent events have occurred due to the same reasons.

consequently, there have been

This alternative highlights the result or outcome of a previous action.

subsequently, there have been

This alternative indicates that things happened after a given point in time.

accordingly, there have been

This alternative stresses the proportional aspect of a result.

hence, there have been

This alternative indicates a logical deduction or inference.

thus, there have been

This alternative emphasizes the manner or way in which something happened.

FAQs

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

The phrase "so have been" indicates that something mentioned previously is also true for another subject. For example, "The team has worked hard, and so have been the managers."

What does "so have been" mean?

It is used to show agreement with a previous statement, indicating that the same action or state applies to another subject or situation. It's similar to saying "also" or "too".

Is it correct to say "so have I" instead of "so have been"?

The correct phrase depends on the context. "So have I" is used when agreeing with a statement about yourself, while "so have been" is used when referring to a different subject. For example, "I have been busy, and so have my colleagues."

What are some alternatives to using "so have been"?

Alternatives include phrases like "and also", "similarly", or "likewise". Depending on the context, you could also rephrase the sentence entirely for clarity.