Been And Being: Meaning, Differences, Examples & Practice Exercises

Have you ever ‘Been’ unsure whether to use the terms “‘Been’” or “Being”? You are not the only one who struggles with knowing when and where to use certain words. Many other people also do. Additionally, pupils must grasp when and how to utilize the tenses “‘Been’” and “‘Being’.” Thanks to this article, students who use these words will no longer be perplexed.

Even if English words can be challenging to understand at times, you have an advantage over others since you know how to use them. Most students make errors because they are unaware of the guidelines for when to employ the words “‘Been’” and “‘Been’” in sentences. The following ideas will help the students gain an understanding of how to use.

The meaning of ‘‘Been’’ and ‘‘Being’’

Understanding the meaning and the distinctions between the ‘‘Been’’ and ‘Being’ is undoubtedly crucial, The word starts with the one thing that unites them. The word “be” is the root of both of them. The irregular verb “be” is used in conjunction with prepositions to create sentences. The two ways to say “be” which are ‘Being’ and ‘Been’, are frequently used in opposition to one another. When describing a subject that is not currently existent but rather information from a previous time, the verb ‘Been’ is employed in phrases. ‘Being’, on the other hand, is used when an action is occurring right now. Additionally, it conveys the state of existence. To better comprehend the words, let’s look at these examples:

• Jane has ‘Been’ late for practice today. She is ‘Being’ negligent.
• Jane had ‘Been’ going to practice, but because of ‘Being’ sick, she cannot come today because of ‘Being’ sick.

You may have noticed that the words ‘‘Been’’ and ‘Being’ are employed at various points throughout these phrases. While ‘Being’ is used in the first phrase to indicate a sudden change in Jane’s  behavior, ‘Been’ is used in both sentences to convey information about the subject that is not the current one. The second one, on the other hand, is used to describe the illness.

We are working with the same verb, which is why many kids find it difficult. Currently, the primary distinction is that ‘Being’ is a present participle (all present participles finish in “-ing,” like swimming, running, and learning). Contrarily, “‘Been’” is the past participle (some past participles end in “-ed,” like “learned,” “studied,” and “written,” “spoken,” while others are irregular, like “ran,” “swum,” and “written,” “written,” and, “said”).

When referring to an event that happened in the far past or earlier, students should use the word “‘Been’.”

• John has ‘Been’ playing for two hours,”

For instance, in the sentence above, “‘Been’” refers to John’s playing throughout the previous two hours. With has/have/had, is always goes with the verb “‘Been’” and is always used in the perfect tense. As opposed to this, the verb “‘Being’” is used to describe actions occurring now or in the continuous tense. For instance,

• Clare is ‘Being’ considerate of the child.” Clare is behaving well toward the beggar in this line, which is used to imply action in the present tense.

When, Where and How To ‘Being’ in Sentences

Let us now examine each application of ‘‘Been’’ and ‘Being’. The passive voice, which includes the passive forms of the present continuous or progressive and the past continuous or progressive, employs the present participle “‘Being’.” Take a closer look at this.

a) Passive form of the present progressive or continuous:

1. Maths and Chemist are ‘Being’ taught at Jets academy.
2. Everyday classes are ‘Being’ held.
3. Ada is currently ‘Being’ assessed for a higher-level teaching position in Kansas.

The present continuous is used because it is evident that these actions are taking place right now or when the sentence is ‘Being’ said. The passive aspect of ‘Being’ is essential.

b) The past continuous or progressive in the passive tense:

1. When I got to Ohio, Physics classes were ‘Being’ offered.
2. Biology classes were ‘Being’ given every other day.
3. When I arrived on Wednesday, Sophia was ‘Being’ interviewed for an executive secretary role.

Here, however, we can observe that the actions were in motion at a particular time in the past (when I arrived in Denver). But we use ‘Being’ in the passive forms in both continuous tenses.

Application of ‘Been’ in sentences

‘Been’ is another form of the verb “be” that refers to things that happened to the subject in the past. Put another way, the effect of the subject’s events does not exist in the present.

• I have ‘Been’ to Brazil.

The gist of this sentence is that the subject went there. Please note that “visited” is used here since when “Been” is used, it is assumed that we are not discussing the present time. Also, we learn about the subject of traveling somewhere in the past through the sentence.

The past participle, ‘Been’, can be used in various tenses in addition to the passive voice.

1. Present perfect:
   1. They have ‘Been’ to the pool.
   2. He has never ‘Been’ early to church.
   3. Ade has ‘Been’ a trader for ten years.
2. Continuous or progressive present tense:
   1. He has ‘Been’ playing football for more than 15 years.
   2. She has ‘Been’ employed in Canada.
3. Past perfect:
   1. She has never ‘Been’ to Ghana.
   2. Never before had I ‘Been’ around such fascinating, amicable individuals.
4. Past perfect continuous or progressive:
   1. I had ‘Been’ studying English for five years when I first arrived in France.
   2. I had ‘Been’ seeking an alternative kind of educational opportunity.
5. Passive form of the present perfect:
   1. Many classes have ‘Been’ offered this semester.
   2. Students of English have ‘Been’ receiving a quality education.
   3. There have ‘Been’ several subjects covered.
6. Past perfect passive form:
   1. George performed admirably on his test. The instructions for the test had ‘Been’ given.

Key differences between ‘‘Been’’ and ‘Being’

1. ‘Being’ is a noun while ‘Been’ is not.

‘Been’ is never a proper noun. On the other hand, ‘Being’ can fulfil this purpose.

• Every ‘being’ wants to be rich.
• I felt a ‘being’ in my presence when I was asleep.
• Every ‘being’ values their life.
• I am not stupid. I am a human ‘being’.
• A strange ‘being’ showed up at her doorstep the other day.

2. A clause can begin with ‘Being’ but not with ‘Been’.

With the word ‘been’, you cannot begin a phrase; yet, with the word ‘Being’, you may. This can occasionally be found at the start of sentences.

• ‘Being’ a footballer, I can meet any world leader.
• ‘Being’ early, I had to grab a cup of coffee.
• ‘Being’ a very skillful player, he was able to play for top teams in the different football leagues.

3. ‘Being’ can be a gerund while ‘Been’ cannot.

Gerunds are verbs that can also serve as nouns. Only ‘Being’ can fulfil this role because they all finish in -ing.

• ‘Being’ smart is an advantage sometimes.
• ‘Being’ a singer seems like the best option.
• ‘Being’ happy always makes me want to spend more on chocolates.
• ‘Being’ patient all the time is depressing.

4. The words ‘Being’ and ‘Been’, signify different times.

‘Being’ describes the current or ongoing action, whereas ‘Being’ describes the past or something that began in the past but is still going on now.

• My fate is ‘Being’ determined. (present)
• She has ‘Been’ to Brazil. (past)

5. The helping verbs used by ‘‘Been’’ and ‘Being’ are different 

Although the verbs ‘‘Been’’ and ‘Being’ can function as helpers on their own, they nevertheless require an additional auxiliary verb or helper verb to create a verb phrase. They don’t always stand alone because of this, which may sound confusing. However, they don’t employ the same assisting verbs.

6. ‘Been’ uses have, has, and had:

• I had ‘Been’ to that stadium.
• You have ‘Been’ anticipated by us.
• The day has ‘Been’ rather lengthy.

7.Uses of ‘Being’ include were, are, is, am, and were

• We were ‘Being’ taken to another destination.
• They are ‘Being’ impolite.
• Despite her obstacles, she is ‘Being’ strong.
• Right now, I am ‘Being’ serious.
• He was ‘Being’ asked to take the role of the Manager.

8. ‘Been’ can be used hypothetically while ‘Being’ cannot

Only ‘Been’ can be used to indicate an uncertain event that might happen, might have occurred, or both. The “would have,” “could have,” or “should have” are the first words in these hypothetical situations.

• A two-year-old could have ‘Been’ easily convinced to give up her chocolates.
• Harry should have ‘Been’ told to honor the invitation.
• If I had worked at it, I could have ‘Been’ class president.

In summary, the essential distinctions between ‘‘Been’’ and ‘Being’

• The past participle “be” has a variant called “‘Been’.” ‘Being’, on the other hand, ‘Being’ is a form of “be” that is a present participle.
• To create sentences in the perfect tense, the verb ‘Been’ is utilized as an assisting verb. In contrast, we use the verb “‘Being’” to develop continuous tense statements.
• While ‘Being’ can be used as a verb, noun, and gerund, ‘Been’ can only be used as a verb.
• ‘Being’ is used with is, am, are, was, and were, whereas ‘Been’ is used with has, have, and had.
• ‘Being’ can be used with prepositions, although ‘Being’ is never used.

Practice Exercises

Do you know how to utilize the words ‘‘Been’’ and ‘Being’ in a sentence? Test yourself with these examples. The answers are boldened.

1. We have  _____ to every away game. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
2. They could have _____ the winners of the prize if he were fit. . (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
3. Tasha is ______ submissive and humble; that is why her husband is misbehaving.. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
4. ______ a James Bond fan, I have never watched any movie he has not starred in. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
5. White loves _____ a big sister. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
6. As a  human ______, I care a lot about others. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
7. .The house has ______ too hot since we came back from the holidays.  (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
8. Have you ______ to the Emirates stadium lately?  (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
9. There are episodes about how mammals came into _____. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
10. He has _____ having issues with his neighbors.   (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
11.  Peter has ____declared wanted for stealing his neighbor’s goat. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
12. His constantly failing health has ______  linked to his resignation as a Manager. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
13. All Sarah’s paintings are ____ sold.  (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
14. The information is _____ presented in graphical form. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
15. The children are ____ naughty.  (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
16. You have _____ very helpful this week. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
17. They have  _____ there since morning. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
18. They have _____ singing great music since they launched. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
19. He has _____ playing great football since his debut. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
20. She could not reach the board _____short. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
21. He refused to attend to them _____ suspicious. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
22. The rule came into _____ on 1st October. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
23. _____ the eldest son, I owned up to spoiling the car. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
24. Why do you love _____ wicked? (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
25. Who has _____ to Mr Daniel’s class? (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
26. The Manager does not like _____kept waiting. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
27. Peter is _ humble. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
28. All the players like _____ selected for the games. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
29. Sophia has _____ my classmate for six years. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
30. Daddy has _____ sick that he has not gone to work for months. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
31. Does he like _____ so important? (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
32. The fall was a result of his _____ so lazy. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
33. She dwells in fear of not _____  misconceived. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
34. Solitude and the feeling of _____ free are the things I look forward to the most. (‘Being’, ‘Been’)
35. Do you like _____  an actress? (‘Being’, ‘Been’)

To summarize, ‘‘Been’’ and ‘‘Been’’ are two different forms of the verb ‘be,’ and understanding this notion makes it easier for pupils to understand and correctly utilize the terms in sentences. By comprehending their usage and significance, one may easily tell the difference between ‘Being’ and ‘Being’. ‘Being’ is used to signify something that is not happening right but was once upon a time, whereas ‘Being’ reflects something that is happening right now.