been

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the phrase "been" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it as the past participle of "be" in various contexts, often in perfect tenses or passive constructions. Example: "I have been waiting for over an hour."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

But it could have been".

The New York Times

Never have been.

The New York Times

(So-called femidoms, inserted by the woman, have been a dismal failure).

The Economist

Though that announcement had been hedged with the usual caveats, there was guarded optimism that MDP 301 would have similar results.

The Economist

This has been corrected.

The New York Times

"Marriage is the union between a man and a woman, has been historically, remains so.

The New York Times

"I am proud and honoured to have been selected for this area.

The Guardian

I am not disappointed that the majority has been reduced.

The Guardian

And I know she wants it because we've been together for 20 years".

The Guardian - Music

"I've been through a lot".

The New York Times - Magazine

He said: "It's outrageous that students exercising their traditional democratic right to protest have been persecuted in this way".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "been" primarily as the past participle of "be" in perfect tenses (e.g., "has been", "had been", "will have been") to clearly indicate completed actions or states relevant to a specific timeframe.

Common error

Avoid using "been" as a simple past tense verb. For simple past actions, use "was" or "were" instead. For example, instead of saying "I been there," say "I was there."

Linguistic Context

The word "been" serves as the past participle of the verb "be". As Ludwig AI confirms, it is typically used in perfect tenses (present perfect, past perfect, future perfect) and passive voice constructions. Examples include "has been", "had been", and "will have been" followed by a verb or adjective.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "been" functions as the past participle of "be", primarily used to construct perfect tenses, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. Its consistent grammatical correctness and very common usage across varied sources—especially in News & Media—underscore its importance. To ensure correct usage, remember to always pair "been" with auxiliary verbs such as "have", "has", or "had", and avoid its use as a simple past tense replacement for "was" or "were". Mastering the correct usage of "been" will enhance your writing by enabling you to accurately convey the timing and completion of past events.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has been

Indicates a completed action or state continuing to the present, emphasizing the action's completion.

had been

Indicates an action completed before another point in the past; emphasizes a sequence of past events.

will be

Expresses a future state or action; indicates what will occur.

being

Functions as a present participle, indicating an ongoing state or action.

was

Past tense form of "be", indicating a state or action in the past.

were

Plural past tense form of "be", indicating a state or action in the past for multiple subjects.

is

Present tense form of "be", indicating a current state or action.

are

Plural present tense form of "be", indicating a current state or action for multiple subjects.

am

First-person singular present tense form of "be", used with "I".

to be

Infinitive form of "be", often expressing a future or conditional action.

FAQs

How is "been" used in perfect tenses?

"Been" is the past participle of "be" and is used with auxiliary verbs like "have", "has", or "had" to form perfect tenses. For example, "I have "been" working here for five years" uses the present perfect tense.

Can "been" be used with all subjects?

No, "been" always requires an auxiliary verb such as "have", "has", or "had". The choice of auxiliary verb depends on the subject and tense. For instance, "I have "been"", "He has "been"", and "They had "been"".

What's the difference between "being" and "been"?

"Being" is the present participle of "be" and is used in continuous tenses (e.g., "I am being"), while "been" is the past participle and is used in perfect tenses (e.g., "I have "been"").

Is it correct to say "I been there"?

In standard English, "I been there" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "I have "been" there", which uses the present perfect tense.