it`s been

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bulenteren

#117305 Mon, 11 Jul 05 02:22 PM

what`s the main difference between between:

it`s been long since we met

and;

it`s been long since we have met.

could you please give examples where they can be used interchangeably and where they cannot?

thank in advance Smile [:)]

bulenteren

Joined on Wed, Jun 1 2005

New Member (11)

Difference between

Mister Micawber

#117318 Mon, 11 Jul 05 02:51 PM

I wouldn't use the second one at all, Bulenteren. The 'since' clause refers to a point in past time, a 'meeting' time.

It has been a long time since World War II ended.
It has been a long time since I ate lunch.
It has been a long time since we met.

Having said that only the first one is formally correct, I would guess that many native speakers say either one without thinking too much about the logic. I see no difference in the intended meanings.

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (22,245)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Clauses

Anonymous

#117319 Mon, 11 Jul 05 02:52 PM

I don't think the latter one is correct

Anonymous

bulenteren

#117332 Mon, 11 Jul 05 03:59 PM

thanks indeed..

bulenteren

Eimai_Anglos

#117425 Tue, 12 Jul 05 01:38 AM

I can't think of any use for "it's been long" apart from in a discussion of length. It can't be used like that for time.

"My middle finger is long; it's been long since I was a baby."

Eimai_Anglos

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

Cheshire, England

Full Member (464)

Martin - native English speaker and technical author.

Mister Micawber

#117433 Tue, 12 Jul 05 01:54 AM

'How's your pilot training coming?'
'Well, it's been long.'

I think we could find this phrase in a lot of common contexts. Googling, however, shows it to be mostly poetic-- i.e. appearing in song lyrics-- or in such phrases as 'it's been long enough'.