"it has been a while" vs "its been a while"

Question

"it has been a while" vs "its been a while"

You could either tell a friend that "it has been a while" or that "it's been a while," but "its been a while" is incorrect.

Tip: In informal English, contractions can be used to shorten certain combinations of words. "It has" can be shortened to "it's"--the apostrophe is added to show where letters are missing.

Last Updated: November 25, 2019

"It has been a while" is one way to indicate that time has passed since something happened.

In informal English, "it has" is sometimes shortened to "it's." The apostrophe is needed because it shows where some letters were removed.

Explanation provided by a TextRanch English expert

Some examples from our editors:

It has been a while since you last visited our store. Please come back to see all of the great new things we've added.
It has been a while since my last dental cleaning. I really need to call to make an appointment.
It has been a while since our last meeting, so let's review what we discussed last time.

Some alternatives from our editors:

it's been a while
some time has passed

Some people try to use "its" and "it's" interchangeably, but they aren't the same.

"Its" shows possession. When it has "been a while," no ownership is indicated, so "its" is not correct.

"It's" is a contraction. In English, contractions shorten certain combinations of words. In this case, "it's" is a shortened form of "it has."

"It's been a while" is only correct when the apostrophe is included. The apostrophe must be used because it shows where letters have been removed.

Explanation provided by a TextRanch English expert

Some examples from our editors:

Hey, it's been a while since we've last spoken. How are you?
It's been a while since I last watched Game of Thrones. I'll need to watch it again so I can remember the plot.
It's been a while since I've had a physical. I really should call my doctor.

Some alternatives from our editors:

it has been a while
some time has passed
it's been [specific length of time]

Answer 1

it has been a while

This is correct

Answer 2

its been a while

This is not correct. Don't use this phrase.

"it has been a while" vs "its been a while"

it has been a while

its been a while

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