Grammar Puzzles Solved (8): Is it grammatically correct to use “she has been” or “she was”? Which one is better?
1. “She has been” (Present Perfect Tense)
- Used
for an action that started in the past and is still relevant in the
present. - Often
used with time expressions like “for,” “since,”
“just,” “already,” and “yet.”
- “She
has been sick for two days.” (She is still sick.) - “She
has been to Paris.” (At some point in her life, she went to Paris.) - “She
has been busy lately.” (Recently, she has been busy, and it may still
continue.)
2. “She was” (Past Simple Tense)
- Used
for a completed action in the past with no connection to the present. - Often
used with time expressions like “yesterday,” “last
week,” “in 2020,” “two hours ago.”
- “She
was sick yesterday.” (She is not sick now.) - “She
was in Paris last year.” (This happened in the past and is finished.) - “She
was busy all morning.” (The morning is over.)
