Understanding the Use of 'It Had Been' vs 'It Was'

The use of the phrases 'it had been' versus 'it was' can sometimes be confusing, especially when discussing the time elapsed since a past event. This article aims to clarify the grammatical and contextual correctness of these phrases, providing insights to help you choose the right one to use in your writing or speech.

Common Phrases and Their Usage

Let's start with a common phrase that many people may have encountered:

The Phrase 'It Had Been Years Since I Had Seen Him'

The phrase 'it had been years since I had seen him' is grammatically correct, but its usage might not always be the most appropriate. To determine the most fitting phrase, we need to analyze the tense and the context of the sentence.

Correct Phrasing: It had been years since I had seen him.

Argument: This phrase uses the past perfect tense 'had been', which indicates an action that occurred before a specific time in the past. It suggests that a period of years had elapsed, and then something happened (or will happen) at a specific point in the past. However, using this phrase might sound overly formal or exaggerated in certain contexts.

Comparing Phrases: Simple Past vs Past Perfect

Now, let's look at a simpler and more commonly used phrase:

The Phrase 'It Was Years Since I Had Seen Him'

The phrase 'it was years since I had seen him' uses the simple past tense, which is generally more straightforward and suitable for most contexts. It conveys the same meaning but in a more natural and less formal way.

Correct Phrasing: It was years since I had seen him.

Argument: The simple past tense is used to refer to an event that occurred in the past, and it doesn't necessarily need the added complexity of past perfect. Therefore, 'it was years since I had seen him' is the preferred and more grammatically correct phrase for most purposes.

Additional Phrases and Their Usage

When discussing amounts of time, it's essential to consider the following:

Ages vs. Time Periods

If you say 'ages' in a past phrase, it typically means a very long time, such as 'ages' of several years or decades. For example:

I haven't seen him for ages.

This phrase is correct and means you haven't seen him for a long time, but the exact duration is vague and could refer to any length of time.

Present Tense vs. Past Tense

On the other hand, if you are discussing a more recent past or present tense, it's better to use a phrase like 'in a while' or 'a while' to refer to a specific time period since the last time you saw the person:

It has been a long time since I saw him.

It has been a while since I saw him.

These phrases are more natural and convey the idea of a longer time period without sounding overly formal.

Summary of Correct Phrases

Based on the above analysis, the correct phrasings are as follows:

It was years since I had seen him. I haven't seen him for ages. It has been a long time since I saw him. It has been a while since I saw him.

Remember, the choice of phrase depends on the context and the exact period of time you want to convey. Use the simpler and more natural phrasing unless you specifically need to emphasize the past perfect tense.

Additional Sentence Structures

Exploring alternative sentence structures can further enhance your understanding and improve your writing:

Sentence Structure Analysis

Here are a couple of examples to illustrate different sentence structures:

It has been a long time since I’ve seen him. – Structural Subject: “It” is the subject of the clause, and “has been” is the main verb. “A long time” is the complement to the structural subject. Since I've seen him has been a long time. – Semantic Subject: “Since I’ve seen him” is the semantic subject, which is a clause. “has been a long time” is the main predicate.

Both sentence structures are grammatically correct and can be used interchangeably, depending on the emphasis you want to place on the sentence.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when discussing the amount of time that has passed since you last saw someone or something, you have various options for expressing this. The choice of phrase depends on the context, time frame, and the level of formality required. By understanding the differences between 'it had been', 'it was', and other related phrases, you can choose the most appropriate and effective way to communicate your message.

Therefore, the correct phrase for most circumstances would be:

It was years since I had seen him.

Or simpler and more natural:

I haven't seen him for ages.

Or for present tense:

It has been a long time since I saw him.