What is the Difference Between Been and Being?

The words "been" and "being" are both forms of the verb "to be," but they have different meanings and uses in sentences. Here are the key differences between "been" and "being":

1. Meaning: "Been" is the past participle of "to be" and is used to refer to actions that took place in the past or are completed. In contrast, "being" is the present participle and gerund form of "to be" and is used to refer to actions that are currently happening or are ongoing.
2. Verb Tenses: "Been" is used with "has," "have," or "had" to form perfect tenses, such as present perfect and past perfect. "Being" is used to form continuous tenses, such as present continuous and past continuous.
3. Helping Verbs: "Been" requires an auxiliary verb like "has," "have," or "had" to form a complete verb phrase, while "being" can be used alone or with an auxiliary verb like "am," "is," "are," "was," or "were".
4. Noun Form: "Being" can also serve as a noun, while "been" cannot.

Here are some examples to illustrate the differences:

• Bucky has been out for a long time. (past action)
• Steve is being nice to the beggar. (present action)
• The function is being postponed till next month. (continuous action)
• All human beings seek love. (noun form)

By understanding these differences and the context in which each word should be used, you can avoid confusion when using "been" and "being" in sentences.

Comparative Table: Been vs Being

The words "been" and "being" are different forms of the verb "to be." Here is a table summarizing the differences between them:

Remember that "been" is used in sentences where the action has already taken place, while "being" is used in sentences where the action is occurring at the present moment or will occur in the future.