When to use 'being' and 'been' in a sentence


English Lesson Notes for Junior Secondary

When to use 'being' and 'been' in a sentence

The English Language has a thousand and one words that confuse its users in terms usage, and arguably, "being" and "been" constitute the list. So, I will be showing you how to use these words in sentences in order to set you free from such dilemma. 

"Being" and "been" are variants of the primary auxiliary verb "be". The "be" verb has eight forms/variants: be, amisarewaswerebeing and been. While "being" is the continuous form of "be", "been" is the past participle of "be".
When to use "being" and "been" in a sentence
WHEN TO USE "BEEN" IN A SENTENCE
The auxiliary, "been" (if it must occur in a sentence) is always used after the auxiliary verbs, havehas, having and had.
Examples
  • I have been sleeping.
  • It has been one problem or the other.
  • Had it been...
  • Having been told the truth,...
It is as simple as ABC. Isn't it? Just know that "been" always comes after the primary auxiliary verb, HAVE (hashave and had), in a sentence.

WHEN TO USE "BEING" IN A SENTENCE
Unlike "been", "being" follows the auxiliary verbs: amis, are, was and were.
Examples
  • I am being asked to mop the floor.
  • The house is being built on solid ground.
  • You are being considerate.
  • I was only being nice to him.
  • I knew you were just being too difficult.
As a noun, "being" means a person or living creature or thing. For example, human being, supernatural being etc. However, with ample examples, this article has discussed "being" as a verb. Hope it has been helpful?
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