BE, BEING & BEEN - Clear the confusion!!

Dear Rohit,

Thank you for your query about the usage of the verbs BE, BEEN and BEING.

I hope the explanation in this post helps you to fully relieve your confusion regarding their use.

BE, BEING & BEEN

Remember this:

Be - base verb
Been - past participle of "Be"
Being - present participle of "Be"

(To know more about Participles, click here)

BE - "Be" is always used in simple present or simple future tense, and future continuous.

·        Please be quick in wrapping the gifts. (simple present)

·        Be my guest! (simple present)

·        Will you be a good boy at the school today? (simple future)

·        He will be going to the doctor tomorrow. (future continuous)

BEEN - "Been" is always used in along with auxiliary (helping) verbs like have, had, has, etc. like in perfect and perfect continuous tenses:

·        It has been such a chilly winter! (present perfect)

·        He has been a loyal employee. (present perfect)

·        I had been waiting for you since 1 pm. (past perfect)

·        It would have been better if you had asked me before doing it. (perfect continuous conditional)

BEING – “Being” can be used directly as a verb, or along with auxiliary verbs in the following manner:

·        Being a doctor is not so easy.

·        Stop being a loner and start getting out of you room.

·        Where were you when I was being called a coward?

Some more examples:

BE

·        He has to be well mannered.

·        What do you want to be?

·        Be silent.

·        Be kind to the poor.

·        Will you be going there tomorrow?

BEING

·        He was being followed.

·        He is being an idiot.

·        I don’t like being scolded in front of my friends.

·        Being your friend, I couldn’t lie about it to you.

BEEN

·        He has never been to Paris.

·        I had been to this museum.

·        Have you been to the Principal’s office?

·        You must have been very close friends.