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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Difference between has been and had been is straightforward once you understand that has been is constantly associated with the present and had been to the past. There are a few contrasts between has been VS Had been.
Presently, has been and had been are two sorts of uses in English language that ought to be comprehended with contrast. Indeed, both are not the same as one another as far as their application. The articulation has been is utilized in the present flawless nonstop tense.
Then again, the structure had been is used in the past immaculate consistent tense. This is the principle difference between the two words.
“Had been” is the past perfect tense and is utilized just when in any event two things are referenced as having happened previously, in a relative sense, in a similar sentence. For instance, “I had sat tight there for thirty minutes before she showed up.”
Has Been
“Has been” is in the present perfect tense. It’s used when depicting occasions before. In contrast to the straightforward past tense, which for this situation would be “was”, the present immaculate is commonly just utilized in various explicit situations.
For example, describing something that is either been progressing or has been a standard occurrence, is as yet occurring: “She has been learning at Oxford since September”; “She has been going out running each other day”
What does Has Been mean?
At the point when used with the present impeccable constant, has been gives that an activity is going on still. Watch the two sentences given beneath.
- Francis has been working in the workplace throughout the previous two years.
- Lucy has been preparing nourishment for him in the mornings.
In both the sentences, you can find that the structure has been is used in the present impeccable constant tense. It is similarly critical to realize that the structure has been is regularly utilized with the action word in the persistent tense.
As should be obvious over, the action word ‘work’ used with the structure ‘has been’ is utilized in the ceaseless tense as ‘working’. Additionally, the action word ‘cook’ used with the structure ‘has been’ in the subsequent sentence is utilized in the consistent tense as ‘cooking’. This is a significant perception to make with regards to the utilization of has been.
Read also related Grammar post
Has been VS Have been
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What does Had Been mean?
At the point when used with the past immaculate consistent, had been gives that an activity had been preceding for an extensive stretch previously. However, it is over at this point. Watch the two sentences given beneath.
- Francis had been experiencing intestinal sickness at that point.
- Angela had been demonstrating a great deal of regard to her sibling at that point.
In both the sentences, you can find that the structure had been is used in the past impeccable ceaseless tense. It is similarly essential to realize that the structure had been is typically utilized with the action word in the persistent tense.
As should be obvious over, the action word ‘endure’ used with the structure had been is utilized in the persistent tense as ‘enduring’. Correspondingly, the action word ‘appear’ used with the structure ‘had been’ in the subsequent sentence is utilized in the consistent tense as ‘appearing’. This is a significant perception to make with regards to the use of the structure ‘had been’.
Has been VS Had been with comparism chart
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What the difference is between has been and had been?
Basically, “Had been” is a past time in reference to another past occasion. And also, “Has been” is occasions that started previously, and proceeds to the present. In this article we will expound on contrast between have been and has been.
- The articulation has been is used in the present immaculate consistent tense.
- On the other hand, the structure had been is used in the past immaculate consistent tense.
- When used in the present perfect continuous tense with has been, the primary action word should come in the constant structure.
- When utilized in the past perfect continuous tense with had been the principle action word should come in the persistent structure.
- Past participle types of the verbs are utilized with has been and had been distinctly in the passive voice.
These are the principle contrasts between the two structures; to be specific, have been and had been.
Read Also: Subjective VS Objective with examples
Examples of ‘has been’
- This has been hard for you, also.
- Nothing has been the equivalent.
- Nothing has been going on that you wouldn’t be free to watch.
- Russie has been keeping mysteries from you.
- The house has been excruciatingly desolate without you.
Examples of ‘had been’
- I had been living with my folks before I moved here.
- I had been working in Paris before I landed this position.
- I had been a shop colleague before I turned into an educator.
- I hadn’t met Tom before that gathering.
Final Words
So there you have it. If you’ve been pondering about the distinction between had been and has been, Already, you have got details about Has been VS Had been with examples. I trust you have discovered this supportive! Tell us in the remarks underneath in the event that you have whatever else that you’d like us to expound on our blog.
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What is the difference between “have been, has been and had been“?
Are you struggling to use the correct form when you’re speaking or writing in English? In this lesson we’ll learn about the difference between have been, has been and had been.
Remember the best way to be learning grammar is using it! When you make practice, you will able to develop better understanding the use of each grammatical structure and apply this to your everyday life when you are speaking or writing in English.
| Have Been | Has Been | Had Been | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form | Present Perfect Continuous | Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
| Meaning | Action started in the past and continues to the present | Action started in the past and continues to the present | -Action started and finished before another past action -“Had been,”, suggests an action that both began and ended in the past. |
| Pronoun | I/You/We/They | She/He/It | I/You/He/She/It/We/They |
| Example | They have been studying for 3 hours. (still studying) | He has been studying for 3 hours. (still studying) | -I had been studying for 3 hours before leaving my room.
-He had been studying for an hour before he decided to stop. |
Difference between “Have Been & Has Been”
‘Has been’ and ‘have been’ suggest an action that started in the past, but continues in the present.
When we are talking about the present:
If the subject of a sentence is I – You – We – They or a plural noun (cars, birds, children) we use ‘have been‘.
Examples:
☛A total of five cars have been stolen from the city center.
☛Birds have been following me all day long.
☛Children have been playing since morning. (still playing)
If the subject of the sentence is He – She – It or a singular noun (car, bird, child) we use ‘has been‘.
Examples:
☛My car has been stolen from the city center.
☛This bird has been following me all day long.
☛A child has been playing since morning.
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Usage of “Had Been”
When we are talking about the past: for any subject (I, You, He, She,It, We, They) we use ‘had been‘.
“Had been,”, suggests an action that both began and ended in the past.
We use the past perfect continuous to indicate that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past.
To show time reference “for” and “since” are used and it describes when the action started and how long it continued in the past.
“For ten minutes”, “for five weeks”, “for two months” are durations which can be used with the past perfect continuous.
Examples:
☛I had been reading articles on English language for three hours.
☛How long had you been studying English before you moved to London?
☛I had been shopping with my wife in the market since morning.
☛She had been shopping in that bazaar before you came home.
☛Children had been playing baseball in that field before it started to rain. (not anymore)
Difference between ‘Have been’ – ‘Had been’
Present perfect ‘have/has been ‘ is used when describing an action completed in the recent past and still assumes importance in the present.
We use ‘had been’ when you describe something that happened in the past before something else in the past. Also an action that had happened in the past and does not reflect any continuation to the present time.
Example: By 500 AD, the Roman Empire had been defeated.
Present Perfect Continuous / Have been -ing
We used Present Continuous to express an action we are doing now.
You are reading a book now. (Present Continuous)
The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used for an action that started in the past and still continues. The action started in the past, continues now, and perhaps will continue in the future.
You have been reading a book for three hours.
You started reading books two hours ago and is still reading now. Maybe you will continue to read.
Go to Have Been, Has Been, Had Been QUIZ HERE.
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Difference between were and had been is distinct. As a result, were and had been are used differently in English grammar when it comes to their usage. However, when used in a certain context, the verbs, were and had been, give a close meaning that makes the confusion. This will be addressed adequately with the aid of examples to make this fact clear. The auxiliary verb were is the plural form of the verb ‘be’ in past tense. On the other hand, the form had been is used in past perfect continuous tense. It is, in fact, the past perfect continuous tense form of the present perfect continuous tense form ‘has been’. This is the main difference between the two words. This article attempts to present to you the different instances when these two words, were and had been are used and the different meanings they give in those contexts.
What does Were mean?
The auxiliary verb were is the plural form the verb be in the past tense. To be means usually to exist. Observe the two sentences given below.
They were tired.
The students were happy when they saw the new books in the library.
In both the sentences, the word were is used in the past tense of the two sentences ‘they are tired’ and ‘the students are happy when they see the new books in the library’ respectively.
What does Had Been mean?
Had been is used in the past perfect continuous tense. Observe the two sentences given below.
They had been living in this house for a long time.
She had been writing for quite a long time.
In both the sentences, you can see that the word had been is used in the past perfect continuous tense. By using the word had been both sentences are given the idea that the actions of living and writing have been going on for a long time.
Now, if you replace had been with were, you will see that the meaning changes completely. Then, the sentence becomes,
They were in this house for a long time.
Here, you understand the action is already over. They are no longer there. However, in the past perfect continuous form (had been), the meaning implied they were still living in the said period of the past. It is interesting to note that as the past perfect form had been is sometimes used to convey the meaning of ‘visited’ as in the sentences given below.
I had been to London twice.
She had been to my house before.
In both the sentences, you can find that the word had been is used in the sense of ‘visited.’ Hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘I visited London twice’, and the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘she visited my house before’.
The past perfect form had been is sometimes used in the sense of ‘in case’ or ‘suppose’ as in the sentences given below.
Had you been in this situation before, you would have realized the truth by now.
Had she been in her house when you went, she would have received you with respect.
In both the sentences, you can find that the word had been is used in the sense of ‘in case.’ Therefore, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘in case you were in this situation before, you would have realized the truth by now’, and the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘in case she was in her house when you went, she would have received you with respect.
What is the difference between Were and Had Been?
• The auxiliary verb were is the plural form of the verb ‘be’ in past tense.
• On the other hand, the form had been is used in past perfect continuous tense.
• Had been is, in fact, the past perfect continuous tense form of the present perfect continuous tense form ‘has been’.
• As the past perfect form had been is sometimes used to convey the meaning of ‘visited.’
• The past perfect form had been is sometimes used in the sense of ‘in case’ or ‘suppose.’
• Were implies that an action is already completed as it is simple past, but had been implies that an action was going on in the said period of the past when it is used in the past perfect continuous tense.
These are the differences between the two words, namely, were and had been.
Below you will find the full lesson notes from the video lesson…
When to use: to have
I have a new car. The basic meaning of the verb have is “to be in the possession of something”. It is used in present simple, and it expresses a fact of having something in the present. When it comes to auxiliary verb “have”, we use it to form present perfect and present perfect continuous. I have gone to that show already. In this example, “have” is used as an auxiliary verb to form present perfect. Present perfect is a tense that connects past and the present. In this example, the person went to the show sometime in the past, but that is still valid in the present. Auxiliary verb “to have” is used to express that present through its present form. I have skipped breakfast today and now I’m hungry. In this example “have” is again used to form present perfect. Here it expresses a finished action in the past that has a result on the present – because the person in the example didn’t eat breakfast in the morning, in the present the person is hungry. To connect the two, present perfect is used and the verb “have” again serves as a signal of the present time by being in the present itself (by form). I have been going to the same cafe for 10 years. Auxiliary verb “to have” is also used to form present perfect continuous. The tense is used to express regularity of some action that started in the past, and continues to happen throughout some amount of time regularly and it is still true in the present. Auxiliary verb helps us to become aware of the present time of the action. I have been watching that show the whole day. In this example have is also used to form present perfect continuous. It expresses and action that started in the past, but was happening the whole time leading up to the present, and continues still. The present form of have reminds us of the present time of the action.
When to use Has been?
That china set has been in our family for year. In this example, we see another form of the verb “to have”. “Has” is the third person singular of the verb to have, used for pronouns he, she, it. In this example, we used it to form present perfect, and has functions the same as “have” – it contains and expresses the present time, connects the past and the present. He has been reading for the past two hours. In this example has is used to form present perfect continuous. It is used for the same pronouns, he, she or it, so, for the third person singular. As we said, as have and has are the same verbs, their function is the same – has also signaled the present for some action that started in the past, but continues up to the present. She has been running for half an hour without any pause. Has is again used to form present perfect continuous. It expresses an unfinished action that started up in the past continued to happen for some amount of time leading up to the present and is still true in the present.
When to use had been?
I had a dress like that, I don’t know where it is now. Verb “had” is the past form of the verb to have. It expresses the possession of something in the past, something someone had before, but no longer has, the action is completely in the past. He had studied English before he moved to New York. “Had” may also be used as an auxiliary verb to form past perfect. When we use past perfect, we express a past action that happened before some other past action, so past before the past. Auxiliary verb “had” signals the past by it past form. When it comes to had, it has the same form throughout all persons, so with he, she, it, we also use “had”, just like with all other person. I had gone to that school before I changed cities. In this example we are again faced with a past action that happened before some other past action. To express that, auxiliary verb “had” is used. He had been waiting there for more than 2 hours when she finally arrived. Auxiliary verb “had” is also used to form past perfect continuous. It expresses some past action that was happening for some time in the past, before some other past action happened. To sum up, we use auxiliary verb “have” to form present perfect and present perfect continuous. “Had” is the past form of “have”, and therefore it is used to form past perfect and past perfect continuous.