What is the Difference Between Has Been and Have Been?

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"Has been" and "have been" are both present perfect forms of the irregular verb "be". The difference between them lies in the subject of the sentence:

  • Has been: This form is used with a third person singular subject, such as "he," "she," "it," or Plural they. For example: "He has been studying English for two years."
  • Have been: This form is used with any other subject, including "I," "we," and "they". For example: "We have been waiting for you for hours."

Both "has been" and "have been" are used to indicate that something began in the past and has continued into the present or has just recently finished. In contrast, "had been" is the past perfect form of "be" and is used to describe actions that both began and ended in the past. For example: "She had been working at the company for five years before she quit."

Comparative Table: Has Been vs Have Been

The difference between "has been" and "have been" lies in the subject of the sentence and the tense being used. Both phrases are used in the present perfect tense, which refers to actions that began in the past and continue to the present or have a connection to the present.

Here is a table summarizing the differences:

Form Subject Example
Has Been Third Person Singular (He, She, It) She has been studying for hours.
Have Been First Person Singular (I), First Person Plural (We), Second Person (You), Third Person Plural (They) I have been waiting for you for hours.

In summary, "has been" is used with third person singular subjects, while "have been" is used with all other subjects, including first person singular, first person plural, second person, and third person plural.