"Has not been approved" vs "have not been approved"

Question

"Has not been approved" vs "have not been approved"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts based on the subject of the sentence. 'Have not been approved' is used with plural subjects, while 'Has not been approved' is used with singular subjects.

Last Updated: March 21, 2024

Use 'has not been approved' when the subject of the sentence is singular, such as 'it' or 'the document.'

Examples:

The document has not been approved yet.
It has not been approved by the committee.

Alternatives:

has not received approval
has not obtained approval
has not been given the green light
has not been sanctioned
has not been endorsed

Use 'have not been approved' when the subject of the sentence is plural, such as 'they' or 'the documents.'

Examples:

The documents have not been approved yet.
They have not been approved for the project.

Alternatives:

have not received approval
have not obtained approval
have not been given the green light
have not been sanctioned
have not been endorsed

Answer 1

Has not been approved

This phrase is correct when used with singular subjects.

Answer 2

have not been approved

This phrase is correct when used with plural subjects.

"Has not been approved" vs "have not been approved"

Has not been approved

have not been approved

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