was not been

USAGE SUMMARY

'was not been' is not grammatically correct in written English.
A more appropriate form would be 'was not.' For example, "She was not been to the store, so she had to order what she needed online."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

39 human-written examples

Then the writer complains that the Soviet Union was not been invited to participate.

The New York Times - Arts

MPs on the committee also expressed concern about a secret heads of agreement document, dated 2012, between the government and the ABI which was not been previously disclosed.

The Guardian

I keep seeing, for example, George Osborne [described as an Old Etonian], which of course he never is, never was – not been near the place".

The Guardian

Last November it was revealed Sarah Jessica was not been pleased the CEO of Halston Bonnie Takhar had been forced to step down.

Independent

As Israeli officials moved to say that Zygier was treated fairly, media in the country revealed that the case was not been unique and others suspected of security offences have been subjected to similar treatment.

The Guardian

The ruling also said the tour operator had argued that it was not been given adequate time to prepare a defense in emergency hearings held in late May by the Department of Consumer Affairs.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

21 human-written examples

He was not being fatalistic.

The New York Times - Health

Crow was not being trained.

The New Yorker

She was not being charged.

The New York Times

Tuck was not being immodest.

The New York Times - Sports

He was not being complacent.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always double-check verb conjugations, especially when using auxiliary verbs like "be" and "have". Ensure the correct tense and form are used to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Common error

A common mistake is using "was been" instead of the correct forms such as "was" or "had been". To avoid this, remember that "been" typically follows "have", "has", or "had", not "was" or "were". For example, use "had been" instead of "was been" when referring to a past perfect action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "was not been" functions as an incorrect verb phrase. It attempts to express a passive construction in the past, but it fails to adhere to standard English grammar rules. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

35%

News & Media

35%

Wiki

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "was not been" is a grammatically incorrect phrase that appears in various sources, including news and scientific articles, but its incorrectness makes it unsuitable for formal writing. As Ludwig AI confirms, a more appropriate form would be "was not" or "had not been", depending on the intended meaning. Related phrases like "had not been" and "was not" offer grammatically correct alternatives. When writing, always double-check verb conjugations to ensure accuracy and avoid common errors associated with this phrase. Despite its relative frequency, the consistent grammatical error significantly lowers its usability and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had not been

Uses the correct past perfect construction to indicate a state before a specific time.

was not

Employs the correct simple past form of the verb "to be".

has not been

Uses the present perfect to indicate something that started in the past and continues to the present or has relevance to the present.

hadn't been

A contraction of 'had not been', maintaining the past perfect tense and meaning.

was never

Replaces the passive construction with a more direct statement of negation.

has never been

Uses the present perfect to express that something has not occurred at any time up to the present.

is not being

Uses the present continuous passive voice, indicating an ongoing action.

were not

Employs the correct past tense form of 'to be' for plural subjects or 'you'.

is not

Uses the present tense form of "to be" to negate a current state or condition.

never was

Emphasizes the absence of something in the past using a more direct wording.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use the verb "to be" in the past perfect tense?

The past perfect tense requires the auxiliary verb "had" followed by the past participle "been". For example, use ""had been"" instead of the incorrect "was been".

When should I use "was" instead of "was not been"?

"Was" is used as the simple past tense of the verb "to be". It should be used to describe a state or condition in the past without the need for the past participle "been". For example, "She was happy" is correct.

What are some alternatives to "was not been" that I can use in my writing?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "was not", "had not been", or "has not been". The correct choice depends on the intended tense and meaning.

How can I avoid making mistakes with verb tenses in English?

To avoid tense errors, review the basic rules of English verb tenses and practice identifying the correct tense for different situations. Pay attention to time markers and context clues that indicate when an action took place. Also, reading widely and carefully can improve your intuitive grasp of correct tense usage. Consider tools that can help identify issues, but be sure you fully understand why those issues were identified.