was been

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of a sentence "was been" is not grammatically correct and should not be used in written English.
It is a combination of the past tense of the verb "to be" (was) and the past participle of the verb "to be" (been), which is not a permissible construction in Standard English. Instead, the correct phrases to use would be "was" or "has been" depending on the context of the sentence. For example, "She was been" should be written as "She was" or "She has been." Incorrect: The project was been completed on time. Correct: The project was completed on time. or Correct: The project has been completed on time.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

And that tide was been receding for nearly 50 years.

The New York Times

The column was been widely condemned on social media.

The Guardian

Rum was been part of the baba equation until now.

The New York Times - Food

It was been a pleasure to train him".

The Guardian - Sport

One of his most famous works, My Land (wutu), was been selected into the Panorama at Berlinale 2016.

University of California, Berkeley

Most recently she was been awarded a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University at the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies.

University of California, Berkeley

No FTA", as he was been taken out of the chamber by security guards.

The Guardian

The decision was been widely criticised, including by all major parties.

The Guardian

Despite flat profits, it was been a good year for Padico.

The New York Times

Another has bruises to his forehead where he was been hit repeatedly with something heavy.

The Guardian

With quick developing of information technology, more and more information was been hidden in electronic media.

Expert Systems with Applications

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always double-check verb conjugations in your writing. Using correct tenses ensures clarity and credibility.

Common error

The construction "was been" incorrectly combines a past tense auxiliary verb with a past participle that doesn't fit the sentence structure. Replace it with a simple past tense ("was") or present perfect tense ("has been") for grammatical accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "was been" functions as an incorrect attempt at verb conjugation. It combines the past tense of "to be" with the past participle, creating an ungrammatical construction. Ludwig AI identifies this as an error and suggests corrections.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Science

37%

Academia

26%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "was been" is identified by Ludwig AI as a grammatically incorrect construction. It's a common error where the past tense of "to be" ("was") is incorrectly combined with the past participle "been". The correct alternatives are either "was" for simple past tense or "has been" for present perfect tense. Despite its frequent appearance across diverse sources like News & Media, Science, and Academia, its usage signals an error that should be avoided in Standard English. Always prioritize correct verb conjugation for clarity and credibility in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been

Uses 'had been' to correctly form the past perfect tense, indicating an action completed before another point in the past.

has been

Uses 'has been' to correctly form the present perfect tense, indicating an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

have been

Uses 'have been' to correctly form the present perfect tense for plural subjects.

was

Uses 'was' to correctly form the past simple tense, indicating a completed action in the past.

were

Uses 'were' as the correct past tense form of "to be" for plural subjects.

is being

Uses 'is being' to indicate an action is currently in progress. It focuses on ongoing processes.

had

Employs 'had' which can replace the incorrect phrase to reflect possession or experience in the past.

is

Uses 'is' to denote present state or identity, differing from the past implication of "was been".

will be

Uses 'will be' to indicate a future state, contrasting with the past tense error.

are

Uses 'are' as the correct present tense form of "to be" for plural subjects.

FAQs

How should I correct the phrase "was been" in a sentence?

Replace "was been" with either "was" for simple past tense or "has been" for present perfect tense, depending on the intended meaning. For example, instead of "The book was been read", use "The book "was read"" or "The book "has been read"".

When is it appropriate to use "has been" instead of "was been"?

"Has been" is used for actions that started in the past and continue to have relevance in the present. "Was been" is never correct. Use "has been" when you want to emphasize the ongoing impact or result of a past action, unlike simple past tense.

What are some common mistakes people make when using the verb "to be" in the past tense?

One common mistake is using "was" with plural subjects, which should be "were". Another is the incorrect combination of "was" and "been", as in "was been". Always ensure the verb form agrees with the subject and the intended tense. Consider using a grammar checker to identify these errors.

Is there any dialect where "was been" is grammatically correct?

While some non-standard dialects might use constructions similar to "was been", it is not considered grammatically correct in Standard English. In formal writing and speech, it should always be avoided. Adhering to standard grammar ensures clear communication and credibility.