What part of speech is “been”
Verb
Definition:
been is the past participle of the verb 'to be.' It is used to indicate completed actions or states of being in the past.
Rules:
Been is used only in perfect tenses or passive constructions. It forms part of the auxiliary verb 'have' when used in present perfect and past perfect tenses, as in the sentences
'I have been working.' 'He had been sleeping when I arrived.' It is also used in the passive voice, as seen in sentences like 'She has been seen.'
Examples:
1. I had been hoping that outcome wouldn’t occur.
2. She had been cooking for hours when we arrived.
3. They had been walking for miles when their paths diverged.
Tips:
Been should not be confused with 'being', the present participle. Furthermore, 'been' is only used in the past tense and not the present or future tenses.