He has been killed vs he was killed

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'He has been killed' is in the present perfect tense, indicating that the action of being killed has a connection to the present. 'He was killed' is in the simple past tense, indicating that the action of being killed happened at a specific point in the past.

Last updated: March 24, 2024 • 6966 views

He has been killed

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English, especially in situations where the action of being killed has a connection to the present.

This phrase is in the present perfect tense, indicating that the action of being killed has happened at an unspecified time before now. It is often used when the focus is on the present result of the action.

Examples:

He has been killed in a car accident.
The criminal has been killed by the police.
She has been killed in a tragic accident.
The soldier has been killed in combat.
The victim has been killed by a gunshot.

Show examples from the web [+]

He has been killed in an ambush near Matagalpa.
The rescue crew believes that he has been killed in an avalanche.
It is only too sad that, although he came to this Parliament last October, we obviously did not heed his warnings - nor did the international community - and now he has been killed.
He has probably been killed already.
You realise the most likely outcome is that he has indeed been killed.
You realize the most likely outcome is that he has indeed been killed?
Little embarrassing given we haven't been killed.
Three innocent victims have been killed.
Understand my men have been killed.
Thousands have been killed by deadly berynium radiation.
Reuters knew its employees had been killed.
Kono and Malia would have been killed immediately.
Twelve international aid workers have been killed in Darfur since the beginning of May alone, which is more than those killed over the last two years.
Almost one person every minute is killed by the bullet from a gun and two million children have been killed in the last decade.
MEPs condemned the violence in which scores of people have been killed.
And one person has already been killed trying to bring Astaroth back.
Not to mention that I could've been killed too.
Severe abdominal laceration, and he had to have been killed here.
Thank you, but we never eat anything that's been killed.
56 of your people have been killed.

Alternatives:

He was killed
He got killed
He has died
He has passed away
He has been murdered

he was killed

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English, especially in situations where the action of being killed is viewed as a completed event in the past.

This phrase is in the simple past tense, indicating that the action of being killed happened at a specific point in the past. It is often used when narrating past events or reporting on historical incidents.

Examples:

He was killed in the war.
The king was killed by his own guards.
The victim was killed in a brutal attack.
The suspect was killed in a shootout.
The animal was killed for its fur.

Show examples from the web [+]

Before he could, he was killed.
Your friend George there, he was killed by a nine-millimeter slug.
No, he was killed in action.
My Sasha was only 21 when he was killed.
Built on the site where he was killed.
McGrath was uploading some data to us when he was killed.
He couldn't reach me, then he was killed.
And he was killed by the thing he loved.
Hayes was wearing Running clothes When he was killed.
No, I was out of the building when he was killed.
So, he was killed by somebody he knew.
So he was killed last night.
That could tell us where he was killed.
Maybe he was killed by a Russian looking for this.
Where he was killed less than 24 hours later.
Now, he was killed six years ago.
But he was killed before he could prove it.
Maybe that's why he was killed.
But he was killed by agent Hightower.
We do know he was killed elsewhere.

Alternatives:

He has been killed
He got killed
He was murdered
He died
He passed away

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He has been killed vs he was killed