"it has been nine years" vs "it had been nine years"

Question

"it has been nine years" vs "it had been nine years"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'It had been nine years' is used when referring to a past event or point in time, while 'It has been nine years' is used when referring to a period of time that started in the past and continues up to the present.

Last Updated: March 06, 2024

This phrase is used to indicate that a specific amount of time has passed from a point in the past up to the present.

Examples:

It has been nine years since we moved to this city.
She has been working at the company for nine years.

Alternatives:

It is nine years now
Nine years have passed
Nine years have gone by

This phrase is used to indicate that a specific amount of time had passed up to a certain point in the past.

Examples:

It had been nine years since I last saw her.
By the time they met again, it had been nine years since their last encounter.

Alternatives:

It was nine years ago
Nine years had passed
Nine years had gone by

Answer 1

it has been nine years

This phrase is correct when referring to a period of time that started in the past and continues up to the present.

Answer 2

it had been nine years

This phrase is correct when referring to a past event or point in time.

"it has been nine years" vs "it had been nine years"

it has been nine years

it had been nine years

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