What is Have been in English? The detailed structure and usage of Have been in English

What is Have been in English? Most learners understand that the verb "Have" means to possess or own something, but very few people understand what Have been means. In this article, let's explore with PREP to learn how to use Have been and how it differs from "Have gone"!

I. What is Have been in English?

What tense is Have been used in? In English, the verb "Have" means to possess or own something. Have been in English belongs to the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses, and it also appears in the passive voice of these tenses. In this case, "Have" functions as an auxiliary verb, and the main verb in the sentence is the verb "to be." When conjugating the verb according to the subject, Have been is used with plural subjects such as "I, we, you, they". For example:

• John and Jack have been best friends for 15 years.
• I have been traveling around the world for the past year.

II. The detailed usage of Have been in English

What are the different uses of Have been in English? When do we use "Have been Ving"? Let's explore them right below with PREP!

1. Active voice

1.1. Present perfect tense

The structure is as follows:

S + have/has + been + O

In which:

• “Been”: V3 - the past participle of “be”
• Have been goes with plural subjects: I, we, you, they, ...
• "Has been" goes with singular subjects: he, she, it, ...

For example:

• I have been a teacher for three years. 
• Anna has been a dancer for ten years. 

1.2. Present perfect progressive tense

The structure is as follows:

S + have/ has + been + V-ing 

In which: 

• “Been”: V3 - the past participle of “be”
• Have been goes with plural subjects: I, we, you, they, ...
• "Has been" goes with singular subjects: he, she, it, ...

For example:

• I have been studying all night, and I’m still not prepared for the exam. 
• They have been working on the project for weeks, and it’s finally coming together. 

2. Passive voice

2.1. Present perfect tense

The structure is as follows:

S + have/has been + V3

For example:

• The buildings have been being renovated for the past six months. 
• The books have been translated into several languages. 

2.2. Present perfect progressive tense

The structure is as follows:

S + have/has been being + V3

For example:

• The buildings have been being renovated for the past six months. 
• The roads have been being repaired due to the recent heavy rains. 

III. Differentiate Have been and Have gone

In English, the structures Have been and "Have gone" are often confused in terms of their usage. Let's explore together with PREP the similarities and differences between these two structures.

Similarities: Both Have been and "Have gone" are phrases in English used to indicate changes in the status or location of someone or something.

Differences:

IV. Exercises on Have been in English with answers

To better understand the usage of Have been, let's practice the following exercises. Check the answers at the end of the article!

1. Exercises

Exercise 1: Give the correct form of the verb

• I (study) English for two hours.
• My manager (work) on the project all morning
• My grandparents (be) to Tokyo city before.
• They (live) in that house since they got married.
• John (practice) the piano diligently to prepare for the recital.

Exercise 2: Transform the following sentences into the passive voice

• The chef has cooked a delicious meal.
• They have built a new school in the village.
• The gardener has been planting flowers in the garden.
• The company has been developing a new product for months.
• She has been teaching English to the children all morning.

2. Answer keys

Exercise 1:

• have been studying
• has been working 
• have been
• have been living 
• has been practicing 

Exercise 2:

• A delicious meal has been cooked by the chef.
• A new school has been built in the village.
• Flowers have been planted in the garden by the gardener.
• A new product has been being developed by the company for months.
• English has been being taught to the children by her all morning.

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