Distinguishing Between Has Been & Had Been

Has Been vs Had Been

The difference between “has been” and “had been” becomes clear once you understand that “has been” is always connected to the present, while “had been” is linked to the past. “Has been” is used in the present perfect continuous tense, while “had been” is used in the past perfect continuous tense.

What does Has Been mean?

When used with the present perfect continuous, “has been” conveys the idea that an action is still ongoing. For example:
– Francis has been working in the office for the last two years.
– Lucy has been cooking food for him in the mornings.

In both sentences, “has been” is used with the verb in the continuous tense. Additionally, past participle forms of verbs can be used with “has been” to indicate passive voice, as in the following examples:
– She has been shown great respect by her friends.
– Francis has been given a first-class pass during his travel.

What does Had Been mean?

When used with the past perfect continuous, “had been” suggests that an action had been continuing for a long period in the past but is now over. For example:
– Francis had been suffering from malaria then.
– Angela had been showing a lot of respect to her brother then.

In both sentences, “had been” is used with the verb in the continuous tense. Past participle forms of verbs can also be used with “had been” to indicate passive voice, as in the following examples:
– Francis had been given a great reception at the hotel.
– Lucy had been shown a lot of compassion.

Key Takeaways

• “Has been” is used in the present perfect continuous tense, while “had been” is used in the past perfect continuous tense.
• Both “has been” and “had been” are used with verbs in the continuous tense.
• Past participle forms of verbs can be used with “has been” and “had been” to indicate passive voice.