Has Been vs Had Been
Difference between has been and had been is easy to understand once you realize that has been is always connected to the present and had been to the past. Now, has been and had been are two kinds of usages in English language that should be understood with difference. As a matter of fact, both are different from each other in terms of their application. The expression has been is used in the present perfect continuous tense. On the other hand, the form had been is used in the past perfect continuous tense. This is the main difference between the two words.
What does Has Been mean?
When used with the present perfect continuous, has been gives the idea that an action is going on still. Observe the two sentences given below.
Francis has been working in the office for the last two years.
Lucy has been cooking food for him in the mornings.
In both the sentences, you can find that the form has been is used in the present perfect continuous tense. It is equally important to know that the form has been is normally used with the verb in the continuous tense. As you can see above, the verb ‘work’ used with the form ‘has been’ is used in the continuous tense as ‘working’. Similarly, the verb ‘cook’ used with the form ‘has been’ in the second sentence is used in the continuous tense as ‘cooking’. This is a very important observation to make when it comes to the application of has been.
Past participle forms of the verbs can be used with has been to indicate the passive forms of the sentences as in the examples given below.
She has been shown great respect by her friends.
Francis has been given a first class pass during his travel.
In both the sentences, you can see that passive forms have been used with has been to indicate passive voice.
What does Had Been mean?
When used with the past perfect continuous, had been gives the idea that an action had been continuing for a long period in the past. However, it is over by now. Observe the two sentences given below.
Francis had been suffering from malaria then.
Angela had been showing a lot of respect to her brother then.
In both the sentences, you can find that the form had been is used in the past perfect continuous tense. It is equally important to know that the form had been is normally used with the verb in the continuous tense. As you can see above, the verb ‘suffer’ used with the form had been is used in the continuous tense as ‘suffering’. Similarly, the verb ‘show’ used with the form ‘had been’ in the second sentence is used in the continuous tense as ‘showing’. This is a very important observation to make when it comes to the usage of the form ‘had been’.
It is interesting to note that both the forms, namely, has been and had been are used with the continuous forms rather than the past participle forms. In other words, the past participle forms are not used in any of the sentences given above.
Past participle forms of the verbs can be used with had been to indicate the passive forms of the sentences as in the examples given below.
Francis had been given a great reception at the hotel.
Lucy had been shown a lot of compassion.
What is the difference between Has Been and Have Been?
• The expression has been is used in the present perfect continuous tense.
• On the other hand, the form had been is used in the past perfect continuous tense.
• When used in the present perfect continuous tense with has been, the main verb should come in the continuous form.
• When used in the past perfect continuous tense with had been the main verb should come in the continuous form.
• Past participle forms of the verbs are used with has been and had been only in the passive voice.
These are the main differences between the two forms; namely, has been and had been.