Been' is the past participle of 'be', just like 'gone' is the past

participle of 'go', and it is used in precisely the same way:

I go to school every day.

I am happy every day.
I am a Canadian.

I have gone to Disneyland twice this year.

I have been happy twice this year.
I have been a Canadian for 30 years.

5th July 2009


 Mister Micawber


+1
In the purest sense, to be is to exist.

There is a second moon hidden behind the other one.

No, there is not.
Yes, there is.

"Been" has other uses in forming various tenses:

The passive voice - I am cheated / I

have been cheated. (present perfect)
The active voice - Somebody cheated me.
The perfect progressive tenses - I have been working all
day. (present) I had beenworking until the rain
started. (past) The verb here is "to work."

The verb "to be" in its own right uses "been" (past participle)
in forming the perfect tenses:

The verb "to be" plus an adjective complement:

I am sick. I have been sick. (present)

I was sick. I had been sick. (past)

5th July 2009


 Avangi


Teachers: We supply a list of EFL job vacancies

+1
shayredsun:

"be" is the most important verb in English. "been" is the past

participle of "be".

The present tense of "be" is

I am, you are, he is, we are, they are.

The present perfect of "be" is

I have been
You have been
He has been... etc.

Example:

Question: How have you been?

Answer: I have been sick.

Also, "be" is used in progressive tenses.

I am working. (present of "be" + present participle)

I was working. (past of "be" + present participle)
I will be working (future of "be" + present participle)
I have been working (present perfect of "be" + present
participle)
I had been working (past perfect of "be" + present participle)

Also, consider the passive:

I am loved. (present of "be" + past participle)

I was loved. (past of "be" + + past participle)
I will be loved. (future of "be" ++ past participle)
I have been loved (present perfect of "be" + past participle)

Regards,

A- s
5th July 2009

 AlpheccaStars


+1
I know when to use has/have/had (they are past
perfect and present perfect), but when should I use
"has been" or "have been" or "had been"? I've seen
these before in english book, but I cannot find any
rule or reason as to what this is. Can someone
explain to me when or when not to use it? Why can't
I just use "has" instead of "has been"?

You might think of it this way, just to start.

'has been' is another form of 'is'.

'have been' is another form of 'are'.

Now. For some time until now.

is > has been

are > have been

Jack is sick today. Jack has been sick for three days.
The boys are late. The boys have been late every day for the
last five days.
The door is open. The door has been open since 8 o'clock this
morning.
The books are on the table. The books have been on the table
since yesterday.
There are a lot of problems in.. There have been a lot of
problems in city government since 2006.

Using just 'has' or 'have' instead of 'has been' or 'have been' in

the sentences above would make no sense. You can be
sick or be late, but you can't have sick or have late.

CJ
7th December 2011


 CalifJim


+0
Anonymouswhere to use have been,had been has been.

has been goes where is goes.

have been goes where am or are goes.

had been goes where was or were goes.

Mary [is] sick. (now)

Mary [has been] sick. (for some time, until now)

Fred and Mary [are] here. (now)

Fred and Mary [have been] here. (for some time, until now)
Laura [was] sitting in the garden. (then)
Laura [had been] sitting in the garden. (for some time, until
then)

CJ
2nd September 2015


 CalifJim


Site Hint: Check out our list of pronunciation videos.

12
COMMENTS
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*Use of Have and Had:

1. You use "has had" in a scentence such as: Bob has had so much
homework this week, or She has had strep throat 3 times this
month. "Have had" is referring to you or someone youre talking
to directly, such as: i have had a terrible headache all day, or, You
have had too many run-ins with the law.
2.They are past tense, and that's all. Depends on the plural and
singular
has had is =singular, have had is =plural.
he has had a bad day.
they have had a bad day.
3.To answer your question, "has had" is used for the third person
singular ( he/she/it) while "have had" is used for all other persons
(I/you/we/they).
Examples: I have had dinner.
You have had dinner.
He has had dinner.
We have had dinner.
They have had dinner.
29th June 2010


 anonymous


CalifJim's reply was promoted to an answer.

As we are using have for we, you they and I and has for he she it;
in short have for plural and has for singular, so can we use has for
plural without we, you they ? For example: Camera, Computer,
Mobile, scanner and stamp has prepared for office use.
1st October 2014


 anonymous


Students: Are you brave enough to let our tutors analyse your
pronunciation?

which type of senrence we will call in whicb HAVE HAD or HAS

HAD and why is this necessary and yes one more thing there is
two verbs has/ have and had .. has/have is use for presesnt and is
use for past, which type of sentence it will called??? and which
form of verb will use??
1st October 2014

 anonymous


AnonymousAs we are using have for we, you they and

I and has for he she it; in short have for plural
and has for singular, so can we use has for plural
without we, you they ? For example: Camera,
Computer, Mobile, scanner and stamp has prepared
for office use.
No
2nd October