The difference between be, being, and been can be confusing to a lot of English learners.
Be, being and been are just different forms of the verb to be: Be is the infinitive, being can be the present participle or the gerund form, and been is the past participle.Advertisements
Because we use these forms of the verb to be so often, it can be easy to use the wrong one. They also sound similar, so sometimes it’s hard to hear the difference between be, being, and been.
The biggest difference between be, being, and been is the way in which they’re used. We use:
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Be in commands and with modals.
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Being in continuous tenses, and as gerunds at the beginning of sentences or after certain verbs.
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Been in the perfect tenses and also with modals.
Of course, we know that’s not enough, so we’re going to get into all the ways we use be, being, and been and their major differences:Advertisements
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How to use be
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How to use being
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How to use been
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Be, being, or been: The major differences and common mistakes
So, if you’re ready, let’s get started!
How to Use Be
The infinitive to be means to exist or to take place. It’s an irregular verb, and we have to change the form of the verb depending on the tense.
So, we can change be to is, are, was, were, been, or being depending on how we use it.
And, when we use it in different tenses, we usually use it as a linking verb, particularly in continuous tenses or in the passive voice.
Different Forms of Be in Continuous Tenses
We can use be in the continuous tense to talk about what’s happening right now, or at a specific moment in the past of the future.
Here, the verb form changes depending on the tense. Here are the different continuous structures:
Present continuous: is/are + -ing
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It is raining right now.
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We are leaving soon.
Past continuous: was/were + -ing
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He was waiting for her phone call.
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They were sleeping when you got here.
Present perfect continuous: has/have + been + -ing
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They have been practicing the piano at home.
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She has been thinking about moving lately.
Future continuous: will + be + ing
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She will be meeting us at the train station.
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They will be working all weekend.
Read more: How to Use the Future Continuous in English
Different Forms of Be in the Passive Voice
We can use the passive voice to talk about rules or policies: when we don’t know the subject, when the subject is obvious, or when we don’t want to focus on the subject.
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Pets are not allowed inside.
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She was informed about the project.
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Renovations are being done at the moment.
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He has not been invited to this gathering.
Read more: Your Ultimate Guide to the Passive Voice in English
Be in Commands
We usually use commands when we’re telling someone to do something or when we’re making a strong suggestion to someone that we’re familiar with. When we use be in commands, though, we don’t have to change the form:
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Be yourself!
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Just be nice!
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Be there at seven.
Be with Modal Verbs
We use modal verbs to talk about things like possibility, ability, obligation, or to make a request or a suggestion.
In the present tense, we always use modal verbs with a base verb, which is the form that the verb takes before we change it.
So, when we use be with modal verbs like can, could, will, would, must, or should to name a few, we don’t have to change it.
Let’s take a look at a few common modal verbs we can use with be.
So, we can use be with will to talk about the future:
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He will be there at five.
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She will be really annoyed when she sees us.
We sometimes use be with must or have to when we want to say that something is probably true:
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You must be hungry!
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She has to be Annie’s daughter. She looks just like her.
We can use be with would be to talk about an imagined situation that’s not likely to happen:
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I would be really surprised if they broke up.
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I thought she would be angry but she just laughed.
We use be with should when we want to make a suggestion, when we want to make a guess, or talk about something someone needs to do:
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You should be Mary Poppins for Halloween.
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What time is it? It should be almost 11:00.
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He should be nicer to his staff.
How to Use Being
Being is the present participle of be, which means that we use it in a continuous tense.
Like most state verbs such as have, mean, like, or prefer, for example, we normally can’t use be in the continuous tense:
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She was at work yesterday.
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She was being at work yesterday.
But that’s not always the case, so let’s look at some exceptions.
Being in the Continuous Tense
We can use being in the present continuous when we’re talking about how someone is acting or behaving:
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She’s acting really weird right now.
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She’s being really weird right now.
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I can’t believe you’re behaving like this.
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I can’t believe you’re being like this.
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Why are you acting so nice?
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Why are you behaving so nice?
Being as a Simple Gerund
A gerund is a verb that acts like a noun, and we create a gerund by adding -ing to the verb. So, in this case, we have to change be to being.
When used as a gerund, we can use being as the subject of a sentence:
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Being your friend is the best.
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Being a mom is hard, but I love it.
We can use being after a linking verb or as the object of a sentence:
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His favorite thing about acting is being another person.
We also use gerunds after certain verbs such as love, enjoy and avoid:
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She loves being the goalie during our games.
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A sociable person enjoys being with other people.
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Avoid being in the water during storms.
We use a gerund after a preposition or conjunctions (about, of, at, etc.), so in these cases we have to use being:
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The best part about being a chef is eating.
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Have you ever thought of being a lawyer?
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I’m so bad at being calm!
How to Use Been
Been is the past participle of be, and we only use it in the perfect tense. In general, we use the perfect tense when we want to focus on the present results of things that have been done in the past.
You can see how we use been in the different forms of the perfect tense in the table below:
Been in the Perfect Tenses
Be, Being, or Been: The Major Differences and Common Mistakes
So, now that you understand how to use be, being, and been, what are the major differences between the three forms of be? And what are some of the common mistakes to avoid?
Being vs. Been: Pronunciation
Part of the reason English learners confuse being and been is because they sound very similar.
Being has two syllables, although English speakers often say it so quickly that you may not always hear it. Remember there’s a hard g at the end that you should try to pronounce.
Being /ˈbiːɪŋ / [BEE’ ing]
Been, however, only has one syllable in English, and in UK pronunciation, it rhymes with bean.
Been / biːn /
NOTE: There is a difference between the American and U.K. pronunciation of “been.” In the U.S., we pronounce been with a short e, which is the same vowel sound you hear in egg or web. You might also hear people pronounce it with a short i sound, as in thick or sit.
But, in the UK, they pronounce been with a long e, which is the vowel sound you hear in key or knee.
Be vs. Have Been with Modal Verbs
As I mentioned before, we have to use modal verbs like could, should, must, might, or would with the base verb in the present tense. But, in the past tense, we have to use modal verbs with have been. Look at the examples below.
Modal verbs with the present tense
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He should be there by five.
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He should been there by five.
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We might be able to give you a room.
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We might been able to give you a room.
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She must be Andy’s new girlfriend.
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She must been Andy’s new girlfriend.
Modal verbs with the past tense
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He should have been there by five. Where is he?
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He should have be there by five. Where is he?
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We might have been able to to give you a room before, but we can’t now.
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We might have be able to to give you a room before, but we can’t now.
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She must have been Andy’s new girlfriend.
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She must have be Andy’s new girlfriend.
Being vs. Having Been with Gerunds
I’ve already talked about how we can use being with gerunds, but we can only use it with simple gerunds.
There’s also something called a perfect gerund that is slightly different, and it can be a bit more complicated to use.
We use simple gerunds to talk about a time that’s the same as the verb in the main clause.
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He admitted to eating the last piece of cake.
But we use perfect gerunds to talk about a time before the verb in the main clause.
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He admits to having eaten the last piece of cake.
And, when we use perfect gerunds in the passive voice, we can use having been. Look at the examples below to get a clearer understanding of what I mean:
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She hated people lying to her. (simple gerund in the active voice)
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She hated being lied to. (simple gerund in the passive voice)
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She hated people having lied to her. (perfect gerund in the active voice)
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She hated having been lied to. (perfect gerund in the passive voice.)
How can I stop making mistakes with be, being, and been?
Well, if you’ve made it to the end of this post, you’ve already taken a big step in avoiding future mistakes with these three confusing verbs.
But, moving forward in your language learning journey, make it your goal to start thinking more in English and stop translating in your head.
Then, listen! Remember that listening and training your ear to notice mistakes will also help you notice when something doesn’t sound right.
When you need to slow down, which we all need to do when we’re learning a language, reading and writing in English with these verbs will also allow you to explore different structures that you might not always notice when you’re listening and speaking.
Then, practice using them! Fortunately, we use these verbs all the time in English, so, if you’re practicing often, you’re getting plenty of chances to make mistakes and learn how to use these verbs correctly.
About the Writer
Marta is an online ESL teacher who works with students from around the world. As a writer, language nerd, and content contributor for In English With Love, her mission is to empower English learners with knowledge and positivity.
Your example as presented is certainly grammatical and there is no need on grounds of grammar alone to remove been. It is a present perfect passive construction formed by the present tense of have + the past participle of be (been) + the past participle of the main verb (concluded). Conclude is used here with the general sense of bringing a transaction to an end.
Whether you omit been depends on the context and the meaning you’re trying to convey. The passive construction in this case doesn’t tell us explicitly who was responsible for the conclusion of the arbitration. It doesn’t say, for example ‘The arbitration between the claimant and the respondent has already been concluded by those concerned.’ However, it does perhaps leave us with the impression that the claimant and the respondent were involved in some way, even though an arbitration, by its nature, is normally conducted principally by a third party. If, on the other hand, you say ‘The arbitration between the claimant and the respondent has already concluded’ you are using conclude intransitively to mean ‘To come to a close or end; to close, end, finish, terminate’. In doing so, you are putting yourself at some distance from the action, and being even less committed to saying who was involved in the process.
Both are grammatical, so you really need to discuss with the other person what meaning and emphasis the sentence is intended to convey. Much will depend on the nature of the arbitration, who was involved in it, and how much you want to say about their involvement.
Question
Обновлено на
15 авг. 2018
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Арабский
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Английский (американский вариант)
Вопрос про Английский (американский вариант)
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Английский (американский вариант)
Практически свободно говорящий
@sandy_loren
» have you been there before»
» yes I’ve been there before»
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Испанский (чилийский вариант)
in present perfect (an action in past with a result in present)
Where have you been?
I´ve been in….
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9/10 Xd nOT PERFECT Xd bUT GOOD
ayoub morocco
Thank you for such an excellent work. Would it be possible to explain what if remove “being” from the example sentence?
Kashif
while thanking you Alex please let me know the difference meaning of..1)He is generous AND 2)He is being generous.
RANJITH—SRILANKA
Please Alex explain us the difference between “He is generous” and “He is being generous”
ela1
it’s being more nice
kotoz
thaanks this has been of great help
nizam
I am proud to learn bahasa, malaysia my people, I often do not know how becakap bahasa, after I learned the video crew, I know it means thank you alex learn bahasa.
do a lot – a lot is another word bahasa
syahrul nizam
bahasa is a language for indonesian-native. malaysian uses melayu/malay. btw, what’s your point dude. i don’t understand what did u meant?
Hany
what did you meant..it’s a wrong sentence. it will be what did you mean?
Prasant
thank you!!!!!)))))
evgenia
thank you,Alex!)))))
Evgenia A
its very useful for me alex . i enjoyed it as well and learned the difference between been and being so i am very grateful to you . keep ti up
abbas khan
This session has been useful.
Thank you!
Barry
hi!! alex,
Thank you for discussing that topic. its very helpful. i have learned a lot..
I have a question if you don’t mind. can you help me with a little explanation in using the words, such as: ” in inspite of” and ” despite of” than you very much.
joel
thank you for your lesson it is important to understand difference between those two words.
tawfik
what The difference between i and me
akagarry
“I” is used as a subject of a sentence, while “me” is used as an object.
For example:
“I visited my parents.” (you are doing the action and are the subject)
“My parents visited me.” (“My parents” is the subject, and you are receiving the action)
Thanks for the question.
Alex
Dear Alex, i am confused to identify the “subject” in the following sentences for whether to use “I/me”:
1) Between you and (I, me), there is no great difference.;
2) There are three tables.;
3) Mary is much cleverer than (they, them).;
4) He knows the secret as well as (she, her).
Thanks in advance!
ric
Thank you Alejandro, your classes are very interesting for me because I have been improving my english.
If you have time is possible you explain me what that’s mean the means word in differents sentences please? For me it’s a little confuse.
for example:
I meant we’d have to leave early – that’s all.
It’s pretty obvious what she means.
Thanks
Ximena from Santiago de Chile
Ximena
“To mean” means to have a specific purpose, intention, or idea in mind when you say or do something.
“I meant to call my mother, but I didn’t.”
This means that your purpose was to call your mother, but that you didn’t do it.
“It’s pretty obvious what she means” means that there is no question about what her intention, idea, or purpose is with her words.
I hope this helps!
Alex
this web is very useful
steven man
710
n0osa
same with me.
hoatpvdo
Could you please make a lesson about gerunds?
I’m having trouble with them.
Thank you.
Maksim
I believe that we will have a lesson on gerunds in the future. Keep checking back!
Alex
progresive tenses and continous tenses era the same??? by the way very good lessons thanks for you teaching me xD
jooz
That is correct. Some books call the “subject + be + -ing” structure the continuous tense, while others call it the progressive tense. They are two names for the same tense.
Alex
Hi alex. I wanna ask you something. It’s possible use this sentence ” Yesterday, she was harassed by the police”?. What is the difference between this sentence and your explanation’s sentence?.
Thank you and sorry by the grammar.
carolina
That sentence is possible. It is a passive construction, because “she” received the action. It is the simple past, which means that it happened at a specific time in the past and that it is a finished action.
Alex
thanks……….
nizam m
Thanks you alex…………………
nizam m
Excellent video. Thanks a lot. All of the video that have been publihed are usefull
lisbeth
thank you very munch teacher!
izzy
Hi Alex
I would like to ask you one quiz ..what’s the distiguish between these ..
1) think
2) conceive
3) envisage
i know about think but not sure about conceive and envisage let me know Are these same or distinct?? Check out these sentences Are these right or wrong?
1) i was just conceiving about your.
2) what do u conceive about this ?
3) what do u envisage about this?
4) i’m envisaging about your .
i’ll very grateful to you .have a nice day..!!
sandeep
fantastic
amany
thank you teavher alex
hmed
hi alex .your lessons are very knowledgeable for me . can you please tell me that what’s the difference among these three words …………… ‘see’ ‘watch’ and ‘look’
abbas khan
Hi. I have 3 questions.
First: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN: “HI” and “HELLO” ?? 
Second: WHEN USING “MAKE” or “MADE” ??
Last One: WHEN USING ‘THE’ ?? For exemple:
He is the best..in something. ??
or
He is best in something. ??
P.S. You can make a movie about it. But pls help me. Thank you.
Melcu Suzana
Thanks Teacher Alex,You’re a great teacher
Marwa
Thank you sir,
I have been confused to use these two words since ever. Now I am trying and will get command soon.
Again Thanks very much for your effort.
Mansoor 0064 21 06 04 125
Mansoor Cheema
Original sentence: “When I was walking along the street, I met Tom.”
Modified sentence: “Being walking along the street, I met Tom.” – Is that grammatically correct or incorrect? And why.
John
Thank you Alex, you doing graet job. God bless you.
I have problem with grammar. i taking Eng 093 in USA and i have problem with complex , indepanded cluse, complen and ….. What is you advise for me Mr. Alex
jaklin
Hello, Alex I wish you are fine and feeling well at this time, i really like your beautiful lessons very much and Alex! i desire and request you to have a video about the (fuck) word, i understand the meaning so it is very shy for me to tell you but i am from Afghanistan in Kandahar province most of foreign guys that i am working with them or they are working in Afghanistan so, they are using this word a lots in common way or in Administration places so, i once again request you that, explain this word me please thanks, Studious, Najmuddin-John
Najmuddin-John
is there any difference for the following
the girl was arrested by police yesterday
the girl was being arrested by police yesterday
PEGGY
Hello everyone! I made a transcribe of this lesson. If you need it please contact me at this email: thangnn.ineep@hotmail.com. Good luck!
Obey
Dear Alex,
Please tell me the difference(s) between ,,,
Mark is generous as opposed to Mark is being generous..
And wondering how to say it in the future tense as well.
Thank you so much
P.S.Love your style and also need to know where I can find some lectures on Verbals passive and reduction of clauses to phrases, such as Adjective , and adverbial clauses to phrases..
Maxy
Hi,Alex, this website seems a good and very useful place for us improving our english ,and i have tried to check my computer for many times,but i still couldn’t see english video lesson,can you tell me how i can do?
cctvit
hello Alex thank you for good lessons and do you want a email to me no problem my email is eumja1404@naver.com see you next time
joon
Hi,Alex ,today,I reset the computer and i can watch the english video lesson now. Thank you all the same.
cctvit
Thank you so much sir Alex!
marianne
Hi Alex,
please answer the sandeep’s querries, I have the same problem.
Thanx
Liwal
hi Alex i really liked your teaching.i have problem in using relative pronouns.plz help me
sajida
thank you much i learn from it…
charisa monsalud
10/10
w00t.
Vivian
I scored 10! thanks Alex. You explained this lesson very well.
Mitch
Thanks your class is very good
bijendra_kumawat
Really excellent, thanks
fernanda
Thanks so much, It has been a very good lesson to me!
silvua
thank u alex.this lesson is very important for me
harry
Thanks so much
Maui
Thanks
donatas1
I feel better when i m seen these videos. they are made me very interesting everyday ! Thank you guys
Juan Carlos
Hello everyone!Good luck!
and thank’s alex
hana lattar
Hello everyone!Good luck!
and thank’s alex
hana lattar
“the students has been studying for 5 hours”
i have one question about this , because i believed that i should to say ” the students (they) have been studing for 5 hours”
why did you say (has)?
rodrigo
If I said “the students has,” then it was a mistake. You’re correct, and the proper structure is “the students have,” or “the student has.”
Alex
hi alex u are the best……thank u so much
aymen
thank’s I didn’t cath all, i’ll watch again and again
lazy student
Hi
could you explane how to use “be used to” and “getting” please?
jyotsna
hi Mr Alex would you like explain me what is difference between confidence and trust?
tawfik
txs ales this i very important in oui studies txs so much
nafissa
thank you!
joms
I’m looking for some private one-on-one tutoring. Are you teaching student in this way?
Thanks.
Oleg.
Oleg
what is the difference between different and difference?
peter
different is an adjective, difference is a noun. each one has a different uses!
M.Johmani
i am from india & my native language is not english,so, how to improve my communication skills(quickly)? and i am very confused in grammer. please help me
neel123
Thanks for all of your lesson.
This section is little bit dificult to perfactly understand… 
I’m still confused about how to use in a sentances with being.
ilsuk8966
you have used “have been” with “she” in the sentence,i did not get it because one cant use “have” with “she” according to grammer rule,can you please explain that ?
taim
Carlos V
this website is very useful..
yogesh
Being yogesh is very difficult.. Am I right sir?
yogesh
i like these lessons. can u plz tell me how can i improve my English very soon as posible
fizzitalpur
i like these lessons. can u pl z tell me how can i improve my English very soon as possible
fizzitalpur
Thank you very much, sir!
Derouaz Hanane
i have been to china ..alex would you say the meaning ..i have gone to china- makes sence for me ..
donnasser
thanks a lot for the lession
Sumona
Good lession
Sumona
Oh I’ve got a question, why don’t we say “I’ve been in Alaska” instead of saying “I’ve been to Alaska?”
I want to know what’s the difference between the first sentence and the second one, please.
Thank you.
Derouaz Hanane
thanks a lot
amitbalde
Thank you!! I love it
marisol
Thank you!!
marisol
Thank you Alex; You gave us good lessons
Habraha ODAYGOODA INA DAQON SURMEEYE
i m ayoub and i m from in morocco can you more explin for me about gerand
ayoub
i don’t understand when we use gerund
ayoub
Dear Alex:
I am new to this site and happy to see your good lectures.
I am in need to contact with you can you please let me know your email or can tell me the way we can be in touch?
Waiting.
Thanks
M.Mohsin
THANKS FOR YOUR WONDERFUL LESSONS BUT I WOULD WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN PASSIVE AND ACTIVE VOICE TO ME.I’M REALLY CONFUSE ABOUT THE STUCTURE.THANKS
nurtaza
nice …thanx
Khalid
Thank you Sir !! You teach very well …!!
shaukat
sir u solved my problem thanxxxxxx
sheebaishrat
thanks so much
Jairo Angel
thank you so much dear sir
irfankhan
8/10
valikhan
It’s some what k.But better to give more explanation using examples
vsumanreddy
Hello Alex!
I find your lessons very good and helpfull, also the quiz very exting.
thank you for help
waiting more from you
mbarkeljoia
i am very happy. i learn a lot from you
rasoolkhan
wonderful lesson!
kang
1010!
herve
Thanks a lot for these lessons.
Please i’d like to know the defference between the two words: demand and request and thier use.
Hakim
Good lesson =), thanks 
filippo1803
hi alex! great lesson. maybe you could elaborate more on ‘been’. I’m a non-native speaker and maybe I could take some tips to be shared with my friends. Thanks in advance!
apizcraze
9/10
beatakolas
9/10 thanks
Hoan nguyen
thank you alex muchas gracias for helping us to learn english
orlando
nice lesson sir
bunty28
Alex your are very nice and awesome!
swetha
thanks alex.. I had been enlighten by this lecture. You are all great!
jun23
Your lectures are very interesting. I am improving my english a great deal by listening to your lectures.
Muzamil
thanks ……..so much …….
HALAR
Hi Alex could you help me about this structure.
please make me understand which structure is being using in this structure.
The government claims to be doing all it can to eradicate corruption.
spickist
Thanks for helping us !!!
Snow White
This quiz has been helpful
Big Will
It`s been nice and helpful.
Thank you, Alex.
jonascitx
I think it was a very nice lesson
Laila Al Hamid
hi alex I was wondering if you could do me a favor and clear up me what is the difference between when i say she has been harassed and she was being harassed
ali
thanks a lot i am so happy to see your video.
i want to ask been , being difference ple,
shobha
It’s _________ a great day.
* being
* been correct ???
why ?????????
thanks
hssns oso
thank u…….
durgaprasad
Hello Alex, could you pls provide more examples on using “being” in generalizations
Madhu
thank you Alex 10 out of ten
llldawoodlll
thank you alex that you are providing good sugetions and helping for all to who have intrest to modify there mistakes in spoken english but i have one problem and i cant undestand that thing my problem be like this ” can i use this have been for present perfect? like i have been completed my work ” or i have completed my work ” which one is correct in thease two sentence ” ?
Shanth Kumar
thank u sir
kiran
thank you for this lesson
adilmuradi
Thanks Alex you’re so kind and very humble teacher that I had been encountered.. but I have a little confuse in your lessons.. you said earlier regarding the correct used of BEEN! you quote in your lessons that”” IF CAN YOU USE HAD,HAS & HAVE ALWAYS USE a word BEEN….But in the Quiz below their is one question.. it’s (BEEN) (BEING) a great day! I got a mistake that because I answer it BEING” plzz explain to me……. thanks god bless
paquingan.reynaldo
10/10 Thanks a lot!
koroleva
Dear Alex!Thanks for your lessons!I ask you to explain to me when i must use WAS BEING (DONE), and HAVE BEEN (DONE) or HAD BEEN(DONE).I still confuse these tenses(passive voise)Thanks again!
koroleva
nice lesson,thanks a lot )
ann
Thanks Alex, i want to learn more about perfect tenses.Hpoe you will help me
archanabiju
i realy like it thanks for the explication
bibi
9/10 not bad,thanks Sir.Alex
analynnavarette
thanks man
nesta
9/10/ but still great
aqeel
9/10.. good but not perfect.
jhay-ar
I really love the way you explain the sentences! Anyway, I would like to know, when should I use “Even” in a sentence? I need some explanations for it! Thanks before. ^^
Danielle
it has been a good topic
faisal
i have a question about passive? when do we use passive form? and when is the better passive or active ? i have some idea about it, but im still confuse on how to use them. is there a paticular time we have to use the passive form? like for example in the past or present. thanks in advance and looking forward for your useful explanation.
samira
Great help thanks.
frank
Hi, Alex great help but don’t understand it
suba
i am confuse inthe use of BEING in English Grammer,could you guide me
mohsin
yahoo! hi Alex i scored 10/10 in the test
rahul
i am extremely happy of getting some guides
deomande
thanks a lot
deomande
can you please make a difference between shall and will
deomande
Dear Mr. Alex,
I don’t understand about being and been. Can you please explain me with some simple sentence and where we can use in proper english?
Thanks
s.Kumar
Australia
kumar
hi alex, could you please explain if we say -Yesterday, she was harassed by the police – means that subject receiving some action now if we say -Yesterday she was being harassed by the police – still meaning is same so will really appreciate if you can explain the difference
sumit1
That’s music my ears this lesson, i always have trouble between ”been and being ” but now i see the difference, i also have to pay attention.Thank you Alex
pascal tossou
hi, i would like to thank you but your voice is low i cant hear very well
all the best for you
omar
9/10 Great Job Done by me !!
Alex Was Superb in this chapter !!
Chéts
thanks may teacher fore ever
you are gentelman teacher? i am verty galad thanks
sadaam
what is the difference between :the students had been studying for 5 hours? and :the students were being studying for 5 hours?
rukaya
hi Alex i´m confuse between been and being so if i say I have been to canada it is similar to say I was in canada?
edgar
thank you for this English Lesson I’ve learn a lot from you Sir Alex..Could you teach me for free??i want to be fluent in English..
bessymelai
hi Alex, i m having confusion in this topic i want to ask some questions with you.BEING is used in presentcont.tense and pastcont.tense but sometimes it is also used as a GERUND can u plz tell mee how this is used as a GERUND i m waiting for your reply
abdul karim
Take care…
ikhodam
8/10! thanks a lot!
lcaraujo
Thank you very much
aheebru77
excellent alex
daya
thanks
daya
Thank you very much Alex.This is a real confuse part in English.
maheshs
10/9 got it……
maheshs
NICE LESSON,TEACHER. YOU ARE GREAT.
THANKS.
jose
Hi Alex,
I read a sentence somewhere and I confused about this sentence;”my doctor has been telling me to eat vegetables”
whereas ,I think it is a passive tense and It does not need a subject(my doctor) and my question is why it hasn’t been said “MY doctor has told me …..?
I would appreciated if you answer this question and save my life!(just kidding)
thank you
farshid
are they same same among “stop being so critical” and “stop be so critical”?
and then “the wheater is not being cooperative” and “the wheater is not cooperative”, i think they are the same. Can you explain about that? thx alex.
Ranny
hi alex thanks for the lesson..
how about using the word aren’t i..aren’t you..they they’re and didn’t..pls help me to understand how to use this on my sentence..i’m having problem using that words on my grammar..hoping to hear from your reply soon..thank you teacher..
reahyang11
Alex, this has been a good lesson! Thanks!
corredor66
Being excellent lesson i like it
nichumon786
He has been completed his work,They have been taken all belonging to their personal,For how long you had been that company,Being heavy rain she cuoldnt go library,Being traffic stuck I cuoldnt reach office in time,sorry for being lite,thank you for being that. Here are a few examples is it correct .please reply my dear Alex
nichumon786
10/10..thank u alex!!
faraway28
thank you som much mr.Alex ..It has been a great lesson .
hanody
Hi teacher , What the difference between ” he is/was studying” and “he has/had been studying”
sadeg8
I have learnt being corrctly today.thang you so much
yoga
thank you Alex.But I seem I dont uderstand English
nurjan
8 out of 10(((
Any Russia
ooooh,,,any,,the same with me your point,,,hahahah
nink
tankyou very much it’s very usefull for me, no need to go to the english course i just open my laptop when i have spare time,,and start to study,,thx very much,,,i can understand all your teach,,,
nink
8 out of 10… but not bad…. thnx alex
sadia78
good help
jacqueline
i hope you’ll give advice what is what, thanks in advance,and so:
he is being generous – why don’t just say “he is generous”? or sentence “he is being generous” supposes that he WAS and is(now) a generous one. and “he is generous” considers that he is generous one in general or i know him as a generous one. what is a difference between both?
yesterday, she was being harassed – i understand that it’s passive voice past continuous tense. why don’t we say “she was harassed ” or she has been harassed” , i think so, ’cause it’s perfect tense. it happened already. why do we say this in the past continuous?
shbk
Dear Alex.
Why can’t we say (she has been harassed by the police)what is the diffrence between these two? (she was being harassed) please help me out with this.
thank you
rawhiyah
Hi Alex tank you for help me this matter English lesson. I wanna be speaker fluent with help.
See you next lesson.
Belinassi
Hi Alex, im trying to understand the difference between “learned” and “learnt”. I would like also to know how to use these words gramatically. Please help…many thanks…
coolfresher
Thank a lot for this lesson, Gianni.
gianni14
hello sir,
i have a question to you sir
if a person was assaulted by someone,
can wae say like this
“person assaulted”.
waiting for the reply sir.
jadi narayana
It depends on the rest of the sentence. For example, you could say, “There was a person assaulted downtown last night.” It could also be the headline of a newspaper article.
Alex
hi alex.I’ve had confused with could . would should please as possible as u can explain them back precisly
eltiganyjuma22
GOD BLESS U ALL
karthik
It’s lesson help me to diffrent Being and Been
Thank you very much
Rony
thnk u.but i’ve jus got one confusion whether or not to use i or me ,when saying My friends and I or Me and My friends.plx if u can help me out
jia
Hi Alex,
i really like your lesson ,i had a big confision,but i am being more confident after this hahahaha
satya
I got 9/10
jose
It was very hard for me
Fatima
Hi ALex, when should I have to use Have,Had,Has.
Ahmed
im perfect hehehehehe
raymart
it has been agreat lesson thanke
kaierm123
it has been amazing.thank u
sharif
hello alex
u r doing great job
can you teach lesson on how to use have been and hadd been sentences
rahul jain
Thank you
I have been getting better English.
kafkamania360
hi. can u explain that differents between those sentences.
marks is being generous.
mark is a generous.
guney
In the first example: “Mark is being generous”… is this a passive tense? It has the same structure, yet it has an adjective instead a verb. Thanks.
Angela
hello , sir i from punjab . i want know difference between would should could plazzzz sir help me i m too confused .. give me the answer soon as you can thaxxx
palwinder
Hello Alex: Could you please explain Degrees of certainty:Present Time(negative)and past time: Affirmative and negative.Thank you for everything.
Rocio.
Rocio
thank you Mr.Alex
zufry
this class was bit confusing for me. Still i’m trying to learn. Thankyou Alex for explaning very well
ummsami
Sir please teach us the difference between the words SINCE and FOR
muqeetmma
hi Alex,
Your lecture was interesting.But I still have some doubts.
In the first example of ‘been’,you wrote: he has been to Alaska.I hope here,you used the verb ‘been’ as main verb and ‘has’ as auxiliary verb.here,does the verb ‘been’ mean ‘stayed’ or ‘lived’.
Is this sentence same as ‘he has stayed/lived in alaska’?
[If I use ‘being’ as main verb(in the first example of being),does it mean ‘becoming’].
And one more thing,
Can we use ‘been’ after ‘is’in passive voice?..like ‘It is been good’?.if not why?
and,what is the difference between ‘He was in alaska’ and ‘He has been to alaska’?..I think ‘He has been to Alaska’ simply implies a present effect of past tense,ans is same as saying ‘He has been to alaska atleast once in his life’.Am i right?
Please reply me as early as you can.Because I’m so confused.:)
jish
10/10
sajid
Hi Alex,
Its a nice video to start with.
Could you tell me the difference between “They had been there before” and “They have been there before”.
Mohit
HELLO ,TEACHER I REALLY INTREST IN IT SO,I DON’T KNOW HOW TO THANK TO YOU ,ACHUALLY I AM THE PERSON ,WHO REALLY WANTS TO BE A GOOD AT IN ENGLISH .BEST WISHES FOR YOU,TEACHER.
vishnu
Mr.alex,,thanks for ur explanation,,it was clear..hope u can visit my university and teach us about grammar..dina from indonesia…
dina panjaitan
What’s is the difference between will and shall??
poongkundran
10/10 thanks Alex
mahmud
I scored 10 out of 10. thanks a lot Alex.
Hossou ZOUNFFA
not understood at all
uday
use been after “have, has, had”
use being after verb “to be” —> this “being is the hard thing w/ these two >I’m Filipino
~just starting to enhance my grammar!
Pinoy
Thanks Alex to explain to me ,It’s means= it has .thanks for your help .you’re a great teacher .God bless you .have a great night.takecare
Momndad
Ohhh… now I’m getting it. Thanks! I’ll study more about it.
rodrigomarques
10/10 very good !
todi95
why do u always use “this is Alex” and not “i’m Alex” in the begin of your videos? Sorry for this stupid question… is it a slang? Thanks for your attention!
Bruno Seulight
thank you Alex..<3
rosie
hi alex, it is very nice a study for me..thanks a lot for everything…
zaza
thanks for great lesson but l am little confused about future perfect tense. for example;she will have been accepted by the college at that point. l dont understand if its future, she isnt being accepted by the college yet , right ? if you help me , l’ll be so happy thank you alex
eyup(yupp)
NICE
prospect21
I appreciate your efforts. Great. Thanks Alex.
S Niazi
how to use doah in english?
Rone
nice….
padmarai
Please explain the sentences starting with the word “having”!
iffath
10/10 but i still dont quite get it
hello
Thanks Alex
Angel
Hi
i woant ask you what time can i ues present parfect
MOHSEN
Which word is often used with the progressive/continuous tenses in English?
being
been
can you please explain this point for me.
Student
Got 9/10.
chanchal17
“Being” is the progressive form of “Be.”
Alex
SIR,in passive voice, while we use being there must be helping verbs(am ,is,are,was,were…),then why at certain times we won’t use. eg: carbon monoxide doesn’t react further after being adsorbed.so pls try to clarify.
K.L.RAM
sir,pls make a lecture on complete phonetics and it’s pronunciation
K.L.RAM
SIR,in passive voice, while we use being there must be helping verbs(am ,is,are,was,were…),then why at certain times we won’t use. eg: carbon monoxide doesn’t react further after being adsorbed.so pls try to clarify.
ramnayak
You used “being” in that sentence. All passive sentences use “be” in one form or another.
Alex
then i think in that example ,doesn’t is the “be” form . thank u sir.
ramnayak
then i think in that example ,doesn’t is the “be” form . thank u sir.
ramnayak
sir,pls make a lecture on complete phonetics(with practicality)
ramnayak
Thank you very much,for sharing your knowledge it really help me a lot.
belen
hehe ive got 8/10.(being or been) not bad :DD
Pinoy
Im a filipino and just starting to correct my mistaken and confusing bout the right grammar to use! hoping to be fluent as white men w/ this lang.
Pinoy
hi alex……it’s been wonderful experience learning through online by you……i have a question to ask you…..which preposition can we use before the word “road” or “street”…..i asked my teacher few days ago and she said “in” for example we live in grand trunk road but i was not convinced by her answer and still have a doubt because i once saw a movie”nightmare ON ELM street”…..here they have used “ON” with street, so i am kid of confused. plz help me.
thank you.
raghav sahi
Thanks for this lesson
JC
I always have problem using been are being
It is more clearar to me, after the lesson
Ijust need more practice.
You are waderfull…..
Judith
thanks sir it was really good but i still have confusion in being for example we can say also she was harassed by the police yesterday yes or no? thnks in advance
sara
sorry sir just one other question i just wanna know if we use be in present plus being for futur action thnks lot
sara
I didnt understand usage of been and being
rajas
10. It’s _________ a great day.
being
been
In this context, “It’s” means “It has,” and not “it is.” In this case, the verb “be” describes a state that is true (the day HAS BEEN NICE), and not an action.
i dont undersatand that ????????
sami45
thanks
johnaisteph
hi Alex…
can I say “he is becoming generous” instead of “he is being generous”?
thanks.
muis
Genial! Thank you.
RAC
Respect to the quiz, question #10:
1.If the day is over, you can say “it has been a great day”, but
2.If the day is not over yet, you can say “it is being a great day”, because it is not over, and it may still go on being great (it’s something continous, I don’t know how to explain it).
Right?
alane
Great! Thanks!
Marcin
No comment!! It’s best english lesson in the internet.Thanks, EngViD.com
Learn more
I don’t understand this lesson :S:S:
you can repeat this lesson
elkrespo
i am new student of this engvid lesson but i am impress by all of u teacher profemence
rajanghimire
can we download this video on my mobile?
nileshdiwakar
dear sir…….
yet i haven’t understood properly the form of ‘being told’. do you mind explaining it deeply once more sir? plz…………
thusan
dear sir…….
‘he is being bored’ in case of this sentence bored can be considered as a adjective & past participle form of bore therefor how can i understand it?
thusan
90%
bartella
can i say like “We were being government recognized export house company” is this sentence right?
firoj
Would you be able to clear my long time confusion about the usage of word ‘being’?. I understood that word ‘being’ is used in passive form of any continuous action(swimming,dancing etc). but in some cases i noticed that sentence was not passive but still the word ‘being’ comes. For ex: when i look for a word in dictionary let’s say
“Contempt of court” the meaning of which is “the offense of being disobedient to” .
In this case how the word ‘being’ is used?.
Similarly,I came across many sentences contained the word ‘being’ such as being friendly, being ignorant etc. Sorry,I am unable to recollect all the sentences which I seen. But I hope that I have explained enough to let you identify what i am asking for? It would be great help for me if you explain the usage of word ‘being’ in different contexts.
Thanks..
meera511
I am so lost Alex!!! I understood your lesson but when we speak about past, present, perfect progressive, and all that I just..can’t. I pass your quiz but I guess on some of them. What do u recommend? What should I learn first?
jazmin1022
hello alex,
i want to ask why “been” is used in these following sentences:
1.i have been hungry for 4 hrs.
2.they have been shopping four times this week.
3.i have been allured by the fancy things.
4.thousand of painter have tried to creat similer painting but they all have been unsuccessful.
5.this room has been the witness to all the events of my life.
please explain me the neaning of been here. i m waiting for ur reply
rajwinderraj
hello alex sir,
pls reply my question soon .my exam is coming near.i need to know the use of been.pls pls pls
can we use present perfect with verb 3 form likewise the 3 sentence ‘i have been allured by the fancy things”
pls reply fast sir m waiting.
rajwinderraj
until now i cant understand when choice between been or being in the sentences like
have you ever ____________ arrested ??
what does it mean ??
and why we should choice been not being
smsoma
9 out of 10
rama essam
Alex,Is there any difference between the following sentences? Or Do they have the same meaning? ‘Mark is stingy./’ Mark is being stingy.’ You are being helpful and supportive to me.Thanks by heart.
daffodile
Awesome i got 10 correct, thanks to you, Alex
yuli setiawan
Thank you so much 10/10!!!
Areliangel
thank you sir it really helped me a lot..
shiva narayana
Glory to God the Father! I have got a 100.
chisengakunda@rocketmail.com
I don’t undertsand the lesson , please could you explain it again , thank you Alex
salima.a1
of I can not understant this being
nuray44
of I can not understand this being
nuray44
Hi Alex,
Thank you for this lesson. In this phrase I don’t know why we use Had been.”it had been a long trip”
Thank you
mejdoubi
Hi Alex,
thanks for your lesson
take care
cep62
I Got 10 because I’m a fellow teacher from Australia
John…………
Thanks Alex
kambiz.ns
hello…….alex, i got 10 correct out of 10 only because your lesson helped me a lot…thank you.
Rasho
thanks for this lesson, it means a lot to me:
Browncony
I got 9 correct,, thank you so much
Yaz.M
9/10, thank you for your lesson.
I think “being” is more difficult to use than “been”.
Koichi
I have had a good lesson, I got 90 on the quiz ,I am being smart.
Thank you for this lesson.
Aangel
Why did you pass the last sentenc’s explanation..? so, sad.
kyungkook park
Great lesson .. I have got 8 correct
aboood1994
100
heshamosama
good lesson, i improve my english day after day
moezbesbes
the firts time i got 9 out of 10 . it´s being very useful for me. Good lesson, thank alex . i am interested on watching your videos .
marleny
Easy to understand, not easy to use.
mark971
its been a great lesson for me thank you
suman6
Nice lesson… The sound was a little low…..
Perlamar
Why i am not access after 2 question. I tried almost 10 times but yet unsuccessful. I become hopless. Please give me solution.
Amjad Raza
Thank you!
Nao Tsuboya
YAY without even watching this lesson, i got 10 out of 10.
Great side with great cause, I must say you guys are doing great job for language students, i have been learning so much from here. God bless all teachers in the world specially Engvid tutors!
BaderHussain1
My name Pheap IR, and today I am studying at PUC in Cambodia. I’m always research all lessons in website. At the end, I have found this website: engvid.com. I’m very interested, I would like to read the book.so can you tell me what kind of books in order to improve my English language?
Pheap IR
9/10
ratha.yi
wow i got 100 yehey
francyn10
It has not been so bad
bundersvaguen
Thanks fot this video I learned a lot!!!
henriquesantos
9/10 thanks Alex.
Tammyjang1
thank you so much Alex in your tutorial it`s help me a lot to know how to use being and been ^_^
anybody here that want to talk other people to practice his/her english
Reamder
(9/10) is my score in this short quiz haha
Reamder
thank you, Alex! This lesson is very useful!
fabiuspictor
I was strongly confuse with both of them, but not anymore! thank you Alex! (and the guy who asked for it) lol
NOA1991
Thank you Alex, this leasson clarified the difference of “being” and “been”.
Jhow
Teacher I have difficult for have been or have to ever
milenizar1
I got 8/10! Good!
robi75
Mister Been XD
Lorcy Gabriel
Thank’s Alex
kheireddine007
i got 2 ques
1-what’s the difference between “he is generous”and “he is being generous”
2-what’s the difference between “she has been to alaska” nad “she was being to alaska “
aliziaei
Is it possible that the 10ª question has two correct answers? For example: “Hey,this day is being very great, isn’t? “Oh, of course, it’s being a great day!”
Marcio07
thanks！
shihai182
Thanks Alex for your video. I’m still confused with the meaning of “being” in a present tense. For ex, He is being generous. That means that he did something generousely. The action is accomplished. But we are using a present form. We speak about smth that has already happened. Can you explain that please? Good luck, i’m your fun))
Dragonmother
9/10 correct Thank you so much Alex
@Joanna@
Thanks Alex, it was great. I have been learnt a lot
Sayed Saber Samim
I watched this video twice on May 21, 2021, and I took the quiz after watching it once. I got nine correct out of 10.
ergn
The verb phrases have been, has been, and had been all have closely related meanings. That similarity may at times lead to confusion about the right time to use each construction.
In today’s review we will discuss the differences among the phrases so you can use each one correctly when you are speaking or writing.
When and How to Use Have Been or Has Been
Have been and has been are verb constructions that are used in the present perfect tense and the present perfect progressive tense.
The present perfect tense identifies an action or a state that took place at an unspecified time in the past. The present perfect progressive expresses an ongoing activity that started in the past and continues into the present.
Examples
I have been to that city. (present perfect)
Shane has not been working on the tractor of late. (present perfect progressive)
We would use have been when the sentence subject is I, you, we, or the third person plural (the children have been studying grammar all morning; they have been studying all morning).
If the sentence subject is a third-person singular noun (he, she, it, Courtney), we would use the phrase has been.
Examples
Courtney has been a team leader before. (present perfect)
It has been drifting through my mind lately. (present perfect progressive)
As you can see, have been and has been have the same related usage and meaning. The main difference between them is the form that is determined by the subject performing the action.
When and How to Use Had Been
Had been is similar to have been and has been, except that it identifies actions that both began and ended in the past. It is used in the past perfect and past perfect progressive tenses. Where have been and has been suggest a past point in time that remains open and unfinished, had been indicates something that is closed and completed.
Examples
Until Roger became manager, the repair records had been vague at best. (past perfect)
I had been feeling sad before my parents gave me a puppy. (past perfect progressive)
In these examples, the verb refers to something that both started and ended in the past.
Pop Quiz
Fill in each blank with the proper use of have been, has been, or had been according to the tense given.
1. Nicole _____ working hard these days to improve her grades at school. (present perfect progressive)
2. We _____ dreaming about this day for months. (present perfect progressive)
3. The team _____ on a three-game losing streak before tonight’s win. (past perfect)
4. I don’t know anyone else who _____ to the new theater production yet. (present perfect)
5. I _____ thinking a lot about my future lately. (present perfect progressive)
Pop Quiz Answers
1. Nicole has been working hard to improve her grades at school.
2. We have been dreaming about this day for months.
3. The team had been on a three-game losing streak before tonight’s win.
4. I don’t know anyone else who has been to the new theater production yet.
5. I have been thinking a lot about my future lately.
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