i thought he might be busy. vs i thought he might have been busy.

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. "I thought he might be busy" is used when you are talking about a current or ongoing situation, while "I thought he might have been busy" is used when you are referring to a past situation. The choice between the two depends on the timeframe you are discussing.

Last updated: March 20, 2024 • 7382 views

i thought he might be busy.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used when you are talking about a current or ongoing situation. It implies that you had a thought about his busyness at that moment.

Examples:

I thought he might be busy, so I didn't want to disturb him.
She thought he might be busy with work, so she didn't call him.
They thought he might be busy preparing for the meeting.
We thought he might be busy studying for his exams.
He thought he might be busy running errands.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 05, 2024

Feb 16, 2017 ... ... I thought he might be busy so I didn't force him to have a word with me." But using "I thought he might have been busy" or "I think he might ...
Aug 17, 2024 ... I let him as I thought he might be busy. Late the afternoon, I texted him that he seemed busy (He would text me the same when I wasn't very ...
Apr 11, 2016 ... I thought he might be busy and would call after seeing 2 missed calls. I waited the entire day but there was no reply. I could not make out ...
May 6, 2020 ... I thought he might be busy so I'd just brush it off. Until it got to the point where he wouldn't text me for days unless I texted first ...
Jul 21, 2021 ... I thought he might be busy or away. Sadly, on Friday people from our community delivered the news and we were all shocked. I will write a ...
I thought, he might be busy with his as usual hectic schedule, it's okay I try again later. The moment the bell rang for the break, my pals grabbed me by my ...
Jun 8, 2018 ... ... I thought he might be busy but after taking to the students it seems that he's always like this. He never seems to have time and I need to ...
... I thought he might be busy so I didn't mind and get Inside the car to go home , I will ask him when I will reach home. I reach home and went towards my room ...
And although I thought he might be busy, I've been lucky enough to get an audience with the mayor. You're really serious about your studies, aren't you ...
Oct 8, 2024 ... “I tried calling him at least 12 times,” Harris said, speaking to reporters in D.C. “At first, I thought he might be busy, but after the 7th ...

Alternatives:

I thought he could be busy.
I thought he may be busy.
I thought he might have something to do.
I thought he might not be available.
I thought he might have plans.

i thought he might have been busy.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used when you are referring to a past situation. It implies that you had a thought about his busyness at a specific point in the past.

Examples:

I thought he might have been busy yesterday, that's why he didn't answer the phone.
She thought he might have been busy with his family last weekend.
They thought he might have been busy working on the project.
We thought he might have been busy traveling.
He thought he might have been busy attending a conference.

Show examples from the web [+]

I thought he might have been busy that day so I went a few more times and the time he spent with me only got shorter with each visit. THERE ARE SO MANY ...

Alternatives:

I thought he could have been busy.
I thought he may have been busy.
I thought he might have had something to do.
I thought he might not have been available.
I thought he might have had plans.

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i thought he might be busy. vs i thought he might have been busy.