Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Tuesday Tip: Been vs. Being



Been is the past participle of the verb to be. In order to form perfect tenses, been is used with the auxiliary verbs has, have, and had. For instance:


  • How long have you been living in California?
  • He had been riding his bike when he saw the robbery.
  • How long has it been since you last saw the dentist?

Being is the present participle form of to be. It is used with the auxiliary verbs is, are, was, and were to form the perfect tense. For example:

  • You were being stubborn.
  • The car is being washed.

Being also has different meanings. Such as:

  • The science fiction movie  was about a being  from another planet. (Here it means "creature.")
  • We will leave him alone for the time being. (In this sentence, it means "the present.")


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