"have been living" vs "has been living"

Question

"have been living" vs "has been living"

Both "have been living" and "has been living" are correct, but they are used in different contexts based on the subject of the sentence. "Have been living" is used with plural subjects (e.g., they, we), while "has been living" is used with singular subjects (e.g., he, she).

Last Updated: March 22, 2024

Use "have been living" when the subject of the sentence is plural, such as "they have been living in the city for five years."

Examples:

They have been living in this house for ten years.
We have been living in this neighborhood since last year.
The students have been living on campus during the semester.

Alternatives:

have lived
have been residing
have been staying

Use "has been living" when the subject of the sentence is singular, such as "She has been living in the apartment for two years."

Examples:

He has been living in this city since he was a child.
She has been living in that house for a long time.
The cat has been living with us for five years.

Alternatives:

has lived
has been residing
has been staying

Answer 1

have been living

This phrase is correct when used with plural subjects (e.g., they, we).

Answer 2

has been living

This phrase is correct when used with singular subjects (e.g., he, she).

"have been living" vs "has been living"

have been living

has been living

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