“Been” vs “Being”
Many learners confuse been and being because both come from the verb “to be.” But their grammar role, tense, and usage are completely different.
Understanding the difference between “been” and “being” is very important in English grammar. Many learners confuse these two words because both come from the verb “be”, but their usage and meaning are completely different.
This article explains been vs being in a deep, simple, and practical way, with rules, types, examples, common mistakes, and practice exercises.
1️⃣Been:
What is been?
Been is the past participle of be.
Forms of “be”:
be → am / is / are → was / were → been
Where is been used?
Been is used ONLY with auxiliary verbs like:
has / have / had
sometimes have been + -ing
👉 Never use “been” alone.
Main uses of been
✅ 1. Perfect Tense (experience / state up to now)
Structure:
has / have / had + been
Examples:
1. I have been tired all day.
2. She has been a teacher for 10 years.
3. They had been friends before the fight.
📌 Meaning:
The state started in the past and continued (or was true) until now or another past point.
✅ 2. Present Perfect Continuous
Structure:
has / have + been + verb-ing
Examples:
I have been studying English.
He has been working since morning.
📌 Meaning:
An action started in the past and is still happening or just stopped.
❌ Common mistakes with been
❌ I been tired
✔️ I have been tired
❌ She been here
✔️ She has been here
2️⃣ BEING
What is being?
Being is the present participle / gerund of be.
Where is being used?
1. Continuous tenses
2. Passive continuous voice
3. As a noun (gerund)
Main uses of being
✅ 1. Continuous tense (temporary state)
Structure:
am / is / are / was / were + being
Examples:
He is being rude today.
The child is being noisy.
📌 Important idea:
“Being” shows temporary behavior, not permanent nature
Compare:
He is rude (permanent character)
He is being rude (temporary behavior)
✅ 2. Passive continuous voice
Structure:
am / is / are / was / were + being + past participle
Examples:
1. The house is being built.
2. The car is being repaired.
📌 Meaning:
An action is happening right now, and the subject receives the action.
✅ 3. Being as a noun (gerund)
Examples:
1. Being honest is important.
2. I hate being late.
3. Being human means making mistakes.
📌 Here, being = the act/state of existing
3️⃣ BEEN vs BEING — Direct Comparison
| Aspect | Been | Being |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Past participle | Present participle |
| Used with | has / have / had | am / is / are / was / were |
| Time focus | Past → now | Happening now |
| Can be alone? | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (as noun) |
| Meaning | State / experience | Temporary action / state |
4️⃣ Side-by-side examples
Been
1. I have been sad.
2. She has been here before.
3. We have been learning grammar.
Being
1. I am being careful.
2. He is being punished.
3. Being kind costs nothing.
5️⃣ Simple memory trick 🧠
👉 BEEN = past connection
has / have / had been
👉 BEING = happening now / behavior
am / is / are being
Common Mistakes
1. Using "being" instead of "been"
❌ He has being sick for two days
✅ He has been sick for two days
Use been with perfect tenses.
2. Using "been" instead of "being"
❌ He is been very helpful
✅ He is being very helpful
Use being for continuous actions or states.
3. Forgetting auxiliary with "been"
❌ She been to London many times
✅ She has been to London many times
4. Using "being" with past perfect incorrectly
❌ They had being busy all day
✅ They had been busy all day
5. Using "been" in place of passive continuous
❌ The room has been cleaned by John (ongoing)
✅ The room is being cleaned by John
Use being for passive continuous actions.
6. Using "being" for completed actions
❌ He is being gone to the market
✅ He has been to the market
7. Confusion in passive voice
❌ The project has being finished
✅ The project has been finished
8. Using "being" with stative verbs wrongly
❌ She is being knowing the answer
✅ She has been knowing the answer
“Being” is for actions, not stative verbs like know, love, want.
9. Present perfect continuous mistake
❌ He has been being sick for a week
✅ He has been sick for a week
10. Mixing "been" and "being"
❌ He has being very kind
✅ He has been very kind
Been vs Being Quiz — Pick the Been vs Being
10 questions. Choose the correct Been vs Being.