have been

USAGE SUMMARY

'have been' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to talk about an action that began in the past and continues until the present. For example, "I have been living in this city for five years."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"We have been nowhere.

The New York Times

None have been captured.

Independent

Lawsuits have been threatened.

The New York Times

None have been shown.

The New York Times

"They have been invisible.

The New York Times

Charges have been brought.

The New York Times

Results have been impressive.

The New York Times

Projects have been postponed.

The Economist

Papers have been lost.

Independent

Lawsuits have been prepared.

The New York Times

Sales have been steady.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "have been", ensure the context clearly indicates an action or state that began in the past and continues to the present or has a present relevance. This helps maintain clarity and avoids ambiguity regarding the timing of events.

Common error

Avoid using "have been" when referring to a completely finished action in the past with no connection to the present. Use the simple past tense instead to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "have been" functions as an auxiliary verb phrase that combines with a main verb to form the present perfect continuous tense or the passive voice. It indicates an action or state that started in the past and continues to the present or has a present result, as illustrated in Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

88%

Science

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "have been" is a versatile auxiliary verb phrase used to form the present perfect continuous tense or the passive voice. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and widespread use. It is particularly common in news and media, expressing actions or states that started in the past and continue to the present. When writing, ensure that the tense accurately reflects the intended meaning and avoid using it for actions completely finished in the past. Remembering to use "have been" correctly will enhance the clarity and accuracy of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has been

Change in auxiliary verb to reflect a singular subject instead of a plural one.

had been

Shift in tense to the past perfect, indicating a state or action completed before a specific point in the past.

were

Uses the past simple tense of "to be" reflecting a completed state in the past without direct relevance to the present.

was

Uses the past simple tense singular of "to be" reflecting a completed state in the past without direct relevance to the present and a singular subject.

have existed

Focuses on the existence of something from the past to the present.

are

Change in tense to present simple, indicating a current state or condition.

have occurred

Emphasizes that certain events took place from the past to the present.

is

Change in tense to present simple singular, indicating a current state or condition with a singular subject.

have transpired

A more formal way of saying that events have happened.

have come to pass

Suggests that events have unfolded or materialized over time.

FAQs

How is "have been" used in a sentence?

"Have been" indicates a continuous action or state that started in the past and either continues to the present or has a result in the present. For example, "I "have been working" all day" implies you are still working or recently stopped, and you may be tired now.

What are some alternatives to "have been"?

Depending on the context, alternatives include "was", "had been", or changing the sentence structure to use a simple past tense. The best alternative depends on the specific meaning you want to convey.

What's the difference between "have been" and "had been"?

"Have been" connects a past action or state to the present, while "had been" refers to a past action or state that ended before another point in the past. "I "have been" to Paris" means you went to Paris and it's still relevant to your experience now, while "I had been to Paris before I went to Rome" means your trip to Paris occurred before your trip to Rome.

Is it correct to say "I have being" instead of "I have been"?

No, "I have being" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "I "have been"", which uses the past participle "been" of the verb "to be" after the auxiliary verb "have" to form the present perfect continuous or passive voice.