All my life I was dreaming vs All my life I have been dreaming

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. "All my life I was dreaming" implies that the dreaming happened continuously in the past, while "All my life I have been dreaming" suggests that the dreaming started in the past and is still ongoing. The choice between the two depends on whether you want to emphasize the continuous nature of the dreaming or its ongoing status.

Last updated: March 30, 2024 • 1342 views

This phrase is correct and can be used to express continuous dreaming in the past.

"All my life I was dreaming"

This phrase is used to indicate that dreaming was a continuous activity throughout one's life in the past.

Examples:

All my life I was dreaming of becoming a pilot.
All my life I was dreaming about traveling the world.

Show examples from the web [+]

All my life I've been dreaming of robbing a school.
Seems like yesterday I was here Dreaming my life away
And something seemed wrong about dreaming my life away.
It's just a girl spends her whole life dreaming of her memorial.
Because I'm sure that you spent the first 12 years of your life dreaming of being a vet.
Spend the rest of your life dreaming up great ideas that don't get funded.
We know what he did and so does he, and he can spend the next 20 years of his life dreaming of his perfect crime.
Well... It's just a girl spends her whole life dreaming of her memorial.
John Hunter: All my life I was a motormouth.
All my life I was a pauper.
All my life I've felt like I was here and somewhere else at the same time.
All my life I could never count on the future because I was too busy trying to keep what I had in the present from disappearing.
All my life I was full of complications, nowadays, I simplify.
But she just confessed to me that she spent her whole life - -dreaming about another man she was in love with
Amy, all my life, no one has trusted me, and all my life I wasn't trustworthy.
It was in the silence of my disquiet, at the hour of day when the landscape is a halo of Life and dreaming is mere dreaming, my love, that I raised up this strange book like the open doors of an abandoned house.
Because of me, you might actually get somewhere instead of dreaming your life away.
So how are you enjoying life amongst the dreaming spires?
I stared at the Walled City, dreaming what life might be like there.
I want the life we've been dreaming about since we were kids.

Alternatives:

Throughout my life, I was dreaming
For my entire life, I was dreaming

This phrase is correct and indicates that the dreaming started in the past and is still ongoing.

"All my life I have been dreaming"

This phrase is used to convey that the act of dreaming began in the past and continues into the present.

Examples:

All my life I have been dreaming of finding true love.
All my life I have been dreaming about starting my own business.

Show examples from the web [+]

All my life I've been dreaming of robbing a school.
A dream I've been dreaming all my life.
And something seemed wrong about dreaming my life away.
It's just a girl spends her whole life dreaming of her memorial.
Because I'm sure that you spent the first 12 years of your life dreaming of being a vet.
Spend the rest of your life dreaming up great ideas that don't get funded.
I want the life we've been dreaming about since we were kids.
All my life, I've been dreaming about a woman like her.
All my life, I've been dreaming of working in the tiling industry.
Seems like yesterday I was here Dreaming my life away
We know what he did and so does he, and he can spend the next 20 years of his life dreaming of his perfect crime.
Well... It's just a girl spends her whole life dreaming of her memorial.
I have been dreaming of payback, for the two of you taking away years of my life.
All my life I have prayed against this day.
Because all my life I have done what it takes to get ahead.
In all my life I have never heard anyone say something rude with a style so perfectly...
So all my life I have wanted to find this stuff out, and spent the last four years tracking these old guys down.
So all my life I have wanted to find this stuff out, and spent the last four years tracking these old guys down.
All my life I have waited for the great adventurer to offer me a place at his side.
All my life I have prepared for combat.

Alternatives:

Throughout my life, I have been dreaming
For my entire life, I have been dreaming

How TextRanch works

Fast and reliable proofreading, editing, and language advice tailored to your needs.

1. Choose Your Service

Quick Text Editing

Emails and short texts
Proofreading & editing
Ready in 5-10 minutes

SUBMIT YOUR TEXT NOW

Document Editing

Documents of any type (*.docx)
Advanced & Premium editing
Ready in as little as 4 hours

UPLOAD YOUR DOCUMENT

Ask an Editor

Personalized answers to your language questions
Expert guidance on grammar, style, and usage
Ready in 24 hours

ASK YOUR QUESTION

Upload your document or paste your text directly into our platform. Your text is reviewed and refined by our expert editors (real people, not machines) who understand the nuances of English. Expect corrections, improvements, and insightful suggestions that enhance the clarity, tone, and professionalism of your writing.

3. Receive Your Polished Text

In just a few minutes (or hours for longer documents), you'll receive your corrected text. Review the changes, make any final adjustments, and confidently share your polished English with the world.
You can count on a personalized, friendly service every time you use TextRanch. We're committed to helping you make a great impression with every word you write.

We proofread and edit these types of texts and documents:

Short texts Business Emails Personal Emails Social media posts Resume and Curriculum Vitae Business documents Sales proposal Research and academic papers Thesis Dissertation Essays Articles Blog posts and much more....

Our Customers Love Us!

We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283125 votes, and

4.9 Excellent - Reviews 2.137

"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"

Zubair
from Bangladesh

"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"

Arturo
from Mexico

"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."

Selena
from USA

"Wow, it's just so excellent. I never would have believed I could have a sure and excellent English companion. Thanks, TextRanch."

Ifiok
from Nigeria

"This is my first time using TextRanch, and I like how the editors take time to correct my text. To everyone who has never used TextRanch before, I highly recommend trying it."

Wilson
from France

"It is an amazing source of feedback because, as a non-native speaker, I really need to have a reliable helper correct my text."

Susan
from Germany

All my life I was dreaming vs All my life I have been dreaming