"has been slowly" vs "has slowly been"

Question

"has been slowly" vs "has slowly been"

Both "has slowly been" and "has been slowly" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Has slowly been" is used when emphasizing the gradual nature of an action, while "has been slowly" is used when focusing on the duration of the action.

Last Updated: April 01, 2024

This phrase is used when you want to emphasize how long an action has been taking place. It is often used in sentences like "The team has been slowly working on the project for months."

Examples:

The car has been slowly moving along the road.
The students have been slowly learning the new material.
The river has been slowly eroding the rocks over time.
The paint has been slowly drying on the canvas.
The clock has been slowly ticking away the hours.

Alternatives:

has been progressing slowly
has been developing gradually
has been evolving slowly
has been improving slowly
has been changing slowly

This phrase is used when you want to highlight that an action has been happening gradually over time. It is often used in sentences like "The project has slowly been progressing."

Examples:

The flowers have slowly been blooming in the garden.
The population has slowly been increasing over the years.
The company has slowly been expanding its operations.
The idea has slowly been gaining traction among the team.
The changes have slowly been taking effect.

Alternatives:

has been slowly progressing
has been gradually developing
has been slowly evolving
has been slowly improving
has been slowly changing

Answer 1

has been slowly

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to focus on the duration of an action.

Answer 2

has slowly been

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to emphasize the gradual nature of an action.