It has been a month since (I heard/I've heard) from her

[hirashin]

Dear native English speakers,

Which would be better for the blank, (a) or (b)?
It has been a month since ___ from her. She must be working a lot these days.
(a) I heard
(b) I've heard

If both are possible, how are they differ in meaning?

Thanks in advance.

Hirashin from Kyoto , Japan

 

[Majestic]

They are virtually the same. If I had to pick which one is better, I would pick (a), mostly because it is simpler. But it wouldn't be unusual to see either patterns used in written or spoken English.

 

[hirashin]

Thanks for the help, @Majestic.

 

[ledojaeger]

Like Majestic said, they are virtually the same. I would use (B), but it makes no big nuance difference to use (A) instead.

 

[hirashin]

Thanks for the help, ledojaeger.

 

[Beth]

Both are OK, but something about (b) doesn't sound quite right.

 

[BillMad]

Hello,

In your sentence, the answer I would go with is (a).

• It has been a month since I heard from her.

You can also use option (b) as,

• It's been a month since I've heard from her.

 

[lincstreff]

Both (a) and (b) are perfectly fine in this situation, and both essentially mean the exact same thing.
The difference is very subtle, but I will try to explain it.
With (a), you are referring back to a very specific moment in time: the time you last heard from her.
With (b), you are not referring back to a specific moment in time, but rather emphasizing the amount of time that has passed.
This difference is very subtle, and probably not worth spending much time analyzing.

One more way you could say the same thing, a variation on (a), is:
"It has been a month since I last heard from her."

By the way, Hirashin, since you are deeply interested in nuances of English, in order to help you I would like to point out that you made a mistake in your original question.
"how are they differ in meaning?" is incorrect.
"differ" is a verb, not an adjective.
Either of these is correct:
- "how do they differ in meaning?"
- "how are they different in meaning?"

 

[hirashin]

Thanks for the help, lincstreff. Where are you originally from?
Are you living in Beppu now? I hope you and your family haven't
been hurt in those big earthquakes.

By the way, Hirashin, since you are deeply interested in nuances of English, in order to help you I would like to point out that you made a mistake in your original question.
"how are they differ in meaning?" is incorrect.
"differ" is a verb, not an adjective.
Either of these is correct:
- "how do they differ in meaning?"
- "how are they different in meaning?"

Oh, yes.I made a mistake. Thanks.

Hirashin from Kyoto

 

[Frumpy]

Isn't this a question of using past tense / present perfect?
If the relationship is over, use past tense; if the relationship is ongoing, use present perfect?

 

[hirashin]

Thanks for the help, Frumpy.

 

[Frumpy]

You're welcome! I wasn't sure if I was of help. The use of present perfect is quite difficult to understand, at least for me!
Often in a conversation simple past is used instead of present perfect, but if you are studying for a exam you have your work cut out!