Difference between Been and Being

Been and Being are two commonly confused words in English. While they sound similar, they have different meanings and uses. This answer will explain the meaning and usage of been and being, provide examples, and highlight the differences between the two.

Meaning of Been

Been is the past participle of the verb “to be.” It is used to indicate that someone or something has existed or occurred in the past.

Usage of Been

• Used to indicate past existence.
• Used to form the present perfect tense.
• Used to form the past perfect tense.
• Used to form the passive voice.
• Used to indicate a change or development.
• Used to indicate completion.
• Used to indicate experience.

Examples of Been

• I have been to Australia.
• She has been studying for hours
• We had been waiting for hours
• The car has been repaired
• He has been promoted 
• The work has been done
• She has been working hard all week.

Meaning of Being

Being is a present participle of the verb “to be.” It is used to indicate ongoing action or existence in the present.

Usage of Being

• Used to indicate ongoing action.
• Used to indicate existence.
• Used to form the present continuous tense.
• Used to indicate behavior or attitude.
• Used to indicate a temporary state.
• Used to indicate an attribute.
• Used to express a hypothetical situation.

Examples of Being

• She is being very helpful.
• They are being very quiet
• He is being rude 
• She is being sick today 
• He is being honest 
• He is being stubborn.
• The cat is being playful. 
• I am being watched

Differences between “Been” and “Being”

Been	Being
Used to indicate that something has already happened	Used to Indicate that something is happening or existing
Used in the present perfect tense	Used in the present continuous tense
Can be used as an adjective in some cases	Can be used as a noun in some cases
Indicates a completed action in the past	Indicates an ongoing action in the present
Used with an auxiliary verb has/have/had	Used with the auxiliary verb is/am/are
Used in passive voice constructions	Used in active voice constructions
Can be used as a standalone word	Always used in conjunction with other words
Used to describe experiences or actions that have happened	Used to describe experiences or actions that are currently happening
Used in past tense sentences	Used in present tense sentences
Can be used to describe a state of being	Used to describe an ongoing action or process
Used to indicate travel or movement	Used to describe a person’s qualities or characteristics
Used to form perfect verb tenses	Used to form continuous verb tenses
Used more frequently than being	Used less frequently than been

Conclusion

In conclusion, “been” and “being” are two forms of the verb “be” that are used in different ways to convey different meanings. “Been” is used to indicate that something has already happened while “being” is used to indicate that something is in the process of happening.  

FAQ’s on Been and Being

Q 1. Difference between been and being?

Answer – Been is the past participle of the verb “to be.” It is used to indicate that someone or something has existed or occurred in the past. Being is a present participle of the verb “to be.” It is used to indicate ongoing action or existence in the present.

Q 2. Usage of being?

Answer –

• Used to indicate ongoing action.
  Used to indicate existence.
  Used to form the present continuous tense.
  Used to indicate behavior or attitude.

Q 3. Give 3 to 4 examples of been?

Answer –

• I have been to Australia.
• She has been studying for hours
• We had been waiting for hours
• The car has been repaired
• He has been promoted 

Q 4. Usage of been?

Answer –

• Used to indicate past existence.
• Used to form the present perfect tense.
• Used to form the past perfect tense.
• Used to form the passive voice.
• Used to indicate a change or development.