having been

USAGE SUMMARY

"having been" is a perfectly acceptable phrase in written English.
It is particularly useful when referring to a situation that was true in the past but might not be true now. For example: "Having been born with a disability, she faced many challenges in her life."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

p. 8 "filtering accuracy" is mentioned, without having been defined.

Biology Direct

The having been.

The New Yorker

Having been an A.C.L.U.

The New York Times

And having been, I'll go again.

The New York Times

Maria is mentioned as having been "recuperating".

The New Yorker

Having been nowhere, the Tories spurted ahead.

The Economist

Having been underestimated, this fish got away.

The New Yorker

"I love having been born in Cuba.

The New York Times

He never acknowledged having been committed.

The New Yorker

As not having been tiresome.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"So you've been corrupted, having been elected?

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "having been" to clearly indicate an action that was completed before another action or state. This is especially useful for showing cause-and-effect relationships or sequential events.

Common error

Avoid using "having been" when a simpler past tense would suffice. Overusing the perfect participle can make your writing sound unnecessarily convoluted.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "having been" functions as a present perfect participle. It modifies a noun or pronoun to describe an action that was completed before the main action of the sentence. Ludwig AI indicates this phrase is grammatically correct and common.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Science

59%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "having been" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase employed to clearly indicate the completion of an action before another occurs. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is acceptable in written English. It is commonly found in news, scientific, and media contexts, reflecting its versatility across diverse forms of writing. When using "having been", ensure it adds clarity by precisely sequencing events, and it helps prevent writing that is unnecessarily complex. Consider simpler alternatives when appropriate to maintain conciseness. With correct usage, "having been" enhances writing by clearly establishing the timing and order of actions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

After being

This alternative uses a preposition to indicate sequence, whereas the original uses a perfect participle to do the same.

Once having been

Adds emphasis on the completion of the action before another action takes place.

Having existed as

Focuses on the prior state or condition, useful in historical or descriptive contexts.

With a history of being

Highlights the past experiences or conditions as a defining factor.

Following its existence as

Replaces the participle with a more formal prepositional phrase, which may be useful in more formal writing.

Subsequent to being

Emphasizes the temporal order more explicitly and might be more appropriate in formal contexts.

Since its time as

Similar to "after being", this phrase indicates time passed since a former state.

Previously

This single-word adverb can sometimes replace the whole phrase to mean the same thing, though it omits the "being".

In the wake of being

Emphasizes the consequences or effects resulting from a previous state.

Because it was

Changes the structure to a causal one, emphasizing the reason due to the past state.

FAQs

How can I use "having been" in a sentence?

Use "having been" to indicate that an action was completed before another action started. For example: "Having been warned, he proceeded with caution."

What's a simpler alternative to "having been"?

In some cases, you can use a simple past tense or a prepositional phrase for brevity. For example, instead of "Having been there," you might say "After being there" or "Because I was there".

Is it always necessary to use "having been" to show a prior action?

No, sometimes the sequence is clear from context. If it's obvious that one action precedes another, a simple past tense may be sufficient. For example: "I arrived after he left" implies he left before you arrived without needing "Having been gone".

When should I avoid using "having been"?

Avoid using "having been" in overly simple sentences where it adds unnecessary complexity. Overusing it can make your writing sound stilted or unnatural. If you can convey the same meaning with a simpler construction, do so.