Which one is correct?
"she is absent since January" or "She was absent by january"?

Question

Which one is correct?
"she is absent since January" or "She was absent by january"?

This phrase is used to express that someone has been absent since a specific point in time and is still absent. It indicates the duration of the absence.

Examples:

She is absent since January due to illness.
He has been absent since January for personal reasons.

This phrase is used to convey that someone was already absent before January arrived. It implies that the absence took place prior to the specified time.

Examples:

She was absent by January, so we had to assign her tasks to someone else.
The report was delayed because the team member was absent by January.

The phrases are not directly comparable as they convey different meanings. 'She is absent since January' implies that the absence started in January and is ongoing, while 'She was absent by January' suggests that the absence had already occurred before January. Both phrases are correct in their respective contexts.

Last Updated: March 19, 2024

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Answer 1

she is absent since January

This phrase is correct and commonly used to indicate that the absence started in January and continues up to the present.

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Answer 2

She was absent by january

This phrase is correct and commonly used to indicate that the absence had already occurred before January.

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Which one is correct? "she is absent since January" or "She was absent by january"?

she is absent since January

She was absent by january

Related Comparisons

Which one is correct?
"she is absent since January" or "She was absent by january"?