have been took

USAGE SUMMARY

"have been took" is not a correct form of the verb "take" in written English.
The correct form is "have been taken." For example, "I was surprised to see that all the cookies from the jar had been taken."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

They ended up spending the day together, and she said that as they shopped for fabric for curtains in his brownstone apartment, "what should have been took over".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Countermeasures have been taken.

The New York Times - Travel

Tentative steps have been taken.

Independent

Others have been taking notice.

The New York Times - Arts

Houses have been taking longer to sell.

The New York Times

No suspects have been taken into custody.

The New York Times

"Their spiritual hopes have been taken away".

The New York Times

In response, three measures have been taken.

Encyclopedia Britannica

They have been taken to Enugu.

The New Yorker

American companies have been taking advantage.

The New York Times

But no actions have been taken yet.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct past participle form of verbs. In this case, "taken" is the correct form, not "took".

Common error

A common mistake is using the simple past tense form ("took") instead of the past participle ("taken") after auxiliary verbs like "have" or "been". Remember to use "have been taken", not "have been took".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "have been took" is intended to function as a past perfect passive construction, indicating that something has been acted upon. However, it uses the incorrect past participle form of the verb "take". According to Ludwig AI, the correct form is "have been taken".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "have been took" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "have been taken". While Ludwig found a small number of examples, the prevalence of this error suggests a need for careful attention to verb forms. Ludwig AI indicates that it is important to use the past participle "taken" after auxiliary verbs like "have" or "been". Therefore, it's advisable to use alternative and grammatically sound phrases to ensure clarity and credibility in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

have been taken

Corrects the grammatical error by using the proper past participle form of "take".

had been taken

Shifts the tense to past perfect, indicating an action completed before another point in the past.

were taken

Uses a simple past passive construction instead of the present perfect passive.

have been seized

Replaces "took" with a synonym that implies forceful or official taking.

have been captured

Replaces "took" with a synonym that emphasizes the act of capturing something or someone.

have been removed

Replaces "took" with a more neutral synonym that simply means something was taken away.

have been acquired

Replaces "took" with a synonym indicating possession or ownership.

should have been taken

Expresses obligation or advisability regarding a past action.

must have been taken

Expresses a strong inference or assumption about a past action.

might have been taken

Expresses possibility or uncertainty about a past action.

FAQs

What is the correct form, "have been took" or "have been taken"?

The correct form is "have been taken". "Took" is the simple past tense, while "taken" is the past participle needed after "have been".

How do I use "have been taken" in a sentence?

"Have been taken" indicates a completed action in the passive voice. For example, "All the cookies have been taken from the jar".

What are some alternatives to saying something "has been taken"?

You could say it "has been removed", "has been seized", or "has been captured", depending on the context.

Is "have been took" ever correct?

No, "have been took" is not grammatically correct in standard English. The past participle form "taken" should always be used with "have been".