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

Both phrases are correct but express different tenses. "I thought he might be busy" is used when talking about a recent or ongoing situation, while "I thought he might have been busy" is used when you are referring to the past. The choice between the two depends on the context.

Explained by Camille
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: January 25, 2025 • 7531 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"i thought he might be busy."

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 27, 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 ...
Jay hasn't messaged me so I thought he might be busy... as always. So I decided to message him first. +. "Good morning, Love! Do you have plans for today ...
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 ...
Sep 18, 2014 ... 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 ...
Feb 10, 2022 ... ... I thought he might be busy. So when he offered to work with me on it I jumped at the chance. Neil Fox: I saw Ryan was looking for a writer ...
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 ...
Jul 16, 2017 ... 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 ...
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.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"i thought he might have been busy."

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 [+]
Last updated: November 27, 2024

Feb 16, 2017 ... " But using "I thought he might have been busy" or "I think he might be busy" would be wrong here am I correct? Can I say I think he was ...
Nov 9, 2024 ... “By 8 pm he was still out so when I called but the phone was not picked, so I thought he might have been busy or out with friends. I called ...
... I thought he might have been busy. I called Thomas on Monday and this time he didn't answer, so I left a message asking him about the estimate. I never ...

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.

"i thought he might be busy."

"i thought he might have been busy."

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