"he has been" vs "he had been"

Question

"he has been" vs "he had been"

Both "he has been" and "he had been" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "He has been" is used to indicate a present perfect tense, showing an action that started in the past and continues into the present. On the other hand, "he had been" is used in past perfect tense, indicating an action that was completed before another past action. So, the choice between the two depends on the timeframe you are referring to.

Last Updated: March 25, 2024

Use "he has been" to talk about an action that started in the past and continues into the present. For example, "He has been working here for five years."

Examples:

He has been studying English for two hours.
She has been living in London since 2010.
They have been waiting for the bus for half an hour.
I have been feeling tired lately.
The team has been practicing hard for the competition.

Alternatives:

He is
He is being
He was
He will be
He had been

Use "he had been" to talk about an action that was completed before another past action. For example, "He had been studying before he went to bed."

Examples:

He had been waiting for hours when she finally arrived.
She had been working at the company for ten years before she got promoted.
They had been dating for a year before they got engaged.
I realized he had been lying to me all along.
By the time I got there, he had been gone for hours.

Alternatives:

He was
He had
He has
He will have been
He is being

Answer 1

he has been

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a present perfect tense.

Answer 2

he had been

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a past perfect tense.

"he has been" vs "he had been"

he has been

he had been

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