TextRanch

The best way to perfect your writing.

Discover why 1,062,726 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected!

1. Input your text below.
2. Get it corrected in a few minutes by our editors.
3. Improve your English!

One of our experts will correct your English.

Our experts

i have been busy last week vs I was busy last week

The sentence 'I was busy last week' is correct. The past simple tense of 'was' is appropriate when referring to a specific time in the past, such as last week. 'I have been busy last week' is incorrect because the present perfect continuous tense 'have been' is not correct for a specific past time reference like 'last week.'
Michele A. profile picture

Explained by Michele A.
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: August 03, 2024 • 36311 views

i have been busy last week

This phrase is incorrect. The present perfect continuous tense 'have been' is not appropriate for a specific past time reference like 'last week.'

Avoid using the present perfect continuous tense for specific past time references. Instead, use the past simple tense to describe actions or states that occurred at a definite point in the past.
  • Jan 26, 2018 ... The present perfect tense is used only with action verbs, so the first sentence, I have been busy last week is ungrammatical. This tense is ...
  • Jan 20, 2014 ... Hi guys; I have been busy last week (might have to make up for it with the wife later…). BLOG: link. picture.
  • May 9, 2020 ... The present perfect tense is used only with action verbs, so the first sentence, I have been busy last week is ungrammatical. This tense is ...
  • Feb 26, 2018 ... I have been busy last week making cigar rollers . I have worked hard and put a lot of time into making a flat style table top roller . It took ...
  • Apr 5, 2021 ... The present perfect tense is used only with action verbs, so the first sentence, I have been busy last week is ungrammatical. This tense is ...
  • Jun 14, 2020 ... So i have been busy last week and this is it at the moment. Did some laps with it incl some races and i must say it feels really good. Not gonna ...
  • Oct 29, 2022 ... ... I have been busy last week and honestly forgot this is the week Kaguya releases the last chapter. Thanks Reddit for this community and r ...
  • Jul 9, 2017 ... I have been Busy last week But Will post the wiring schematic this week. Found Some mislabeling which has to Be corrected. (Also thanks Gary ...
  • Mar 29, 2020 ... I have been busy last week and as you know the blog comes second to paying work. I saw this on my YouTube subscription feed… Continue ...
  • B.S. Applied Health Science, Human Development and Family Studies| Concentration: Education| Educator|Private Tudor · Hello, my name is William Clay, ...

I was busy last week

This phrase is correct. The past simple tense 'was' is suitable for referring to a specific time in the past, such as 'last week.'

Use the past simple tense to describe actions or states that occurred at a definite point in the past, like 'last week.'
  • May 9, 2020 ... I was busy last week. This is the simple past tense of to be. You can use either one. The only subtle difference is that with ...
  • Aug 12, 2024 ... While I was busy last week, I also got ahold of this letter pretty sharply worded letter @Okla_OAG sent OSDE last month, in reference to a ...
  • Jan 26, 2018 ... Thank you for A2A. I would not use either sentence. I would say: I was busy last week, or. I have been ...
  • Jan 30, 2023 ... Gen 9 UU memes except I was busy last week. (Ft. Notorious N.O. I. ...
  • May 19, 2024 ... I was busy last week and neglected to post a pic in uniform in support of #NationalPoliceWeek. So, here's five of them!
  • 7 days ago ... I was busy last week so I drew this thing · Comments Section · Community Info Section · More posts you may like.
  • Sep 19, 2024 ... I was busy last week lamba, I am back now and my stories are in review. Thank you for your concern, so sweet of you ...
  • Jun 28, 2021 ... Happy MC Monday! Hopping onto the Artbreeder trend since I was busy last week lol here's how I imagine my MC, Autumn van Büren, would look like.
  • May 23, 2018 ... Hi, I got your voicemail but I was busy last week. The issue we are having is once connected to wifi the connection drops after 5-10 minutes ...
  • I was busy last week at my very own quilt guild's quilt show. Riverwalk Quilters Guild always pulls out the stops and this year was no exception! Set up ...

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9TextRanch on TrustPilot).

Why choose TextRanch?

Lowest prices
Up to 50% lower than other online editing sites.

Fastest Times
Our team of editors is working for you 24/7.

Qualified Editors
Native English experts for UK or US English.

Top Customer Service
We are here to help. Satisfaction guaranteed!