"have been different" vs "had been different"

Question

"have been different" vs "had been different"

Both "had been different" and "have been different" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Had been different" is used to talk about a past situation that has changed, while "have been different" is used to talk about a present situation that has changed or a situation that started in the past and continues into the present.

Last Updated: March 30, 2024

Use "have been different" when referring to a present situation that is not the same as it was before or when describing a situation that began in the past and is still true in the present.

Examples:

Things have been different since she left.
Our relationship has been different ever since that argument.

Alternatives:

are different
have changed
have been altered
have been modified

Use "had been different" when referring to a past situation that was not the same as it is now. It indicates a change that occurred in the past.

Examples:

The weather had been different when we arrived.
Her attitude had been different before the incident.

Alternatives:

was different
used to be different
had changed
had been altered

Answer 1

have been different

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to talk about a present situation that has changed or a situation that started in the past and continues into the present.

Answer 2

had been different

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to talk about a past situation that has changed.

"have been different" vs "had been different"

have been different

had been different

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