Passive Present Perfect: Has/Have Been Done
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'has/have been + past participle' to focus on an action that happened in the past with present relevance.
- Use 'has been' for singular subjects (he/she/it). Example: The report has been finished.
- Use 'have been' for plural subjects (I/you/we/they). Example: The documents have been signed.
- Always use the past participle form of the main verb. Example: The house has been painted.
The passive present perfect focuses on results — what has happened — rather than who made it happen. It is a cornerstone of formal, academic, and professional writing.
✅ The new policy has been implemented.
✅ Several proposals have been reviewed.
✅ The contract has not been finalised yet.
✅ Has the merger been approved?
Active vs Passive — Focus Shift
Active (who did it)
The board has approved the framework.
Passive (what happened)
The framework has been approved.
With Time Adverbs
✅ The changes have already been implemented.
✅ The results have just been released.
✅ Has the invoice been sent yet?
✅ Several amendments have recently been proposed.
Passive Present Perfect Conjugation
| Subject | Auxiliary | Been | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I/You/We/They
|
have
|
been
|
done
|
|
He/She/It
|
has
|
been
|
done
|
|
I/You/We/They (Neg)
|
have not
|
been
|
done
|
|
He/She/It (Neg)
|
has not
|
been
|
done
|
|
(Question) Have
|
I/You/We/They
|
been
|
done?
|
|
(Question) Has
|
He/She/It
|
been
|
done?
|
Contractions
| Full | Contraction |
|---|---|
|
I have been
|
I've been
|
|
He has been
|
He's been
|
|
We have not been
|
We haven't been
|
|
It has not been
|
It hasn't been
|
Meanings
The Passive Present Perfect describes actions that were completed at an unspecified time in the past, where the focus is on the result or the object affected rather than the person performing the action.
Result-oriented
Highlighting that a task is finished.
“The dishes have been washed.”
“The email has been sent.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subj + have/has + been + V3
|
The work has been done.
|
|
Negative
|
Subj + have/has + not + been + V3
|
The work has not been done.
|
|
Interrogative
|
Have/Has + Subj + been + V3?
|
Has the work been done?
|
|
Short Answer (Yes)
|
Yes, [pronoun] have/has.
|
Yes, it has.
|
|
Short Answer (No)
|
No, [pronoun] haven't/hasn't.
|
No, it hasn't.
|
Formality Spectrum
The task has been completed. (Workplace)
The task has been finished. (Workplace)
The task is done. (Workplace)
Task's sorted. (Workplace)
Passive Present Perfect Components
Auxiliary
- Have Plural
- Has Singular
Constant
- Been Required
Verb
- Past Participle V3 form
Examples by Level
The door has been locked.
The food has been served.
The book has been read.
The lights have been turned off.
The emails have been sent.
The room has been cleaned.
The car has been washed.
The files have been saved.
The meeting has been rescheduled.
The contract has been signed.
The problem has been solved.
The rules have been changed.
The decision has been finalized.
The data has been analyzed.
The software has been updated.
The proposal has been rejected.
The findings have been corroborated by recent studies.
The policy has been implemented across all departments.
The infrastructure has been significantly upgraded.
The concerns have been addressed in the latest report.
The historical narrative has been re-evaluated in light of new evidence.
The ethical implications have been thoroughly debated.
The artistic vision has been meticulously realized.
The systemic failures have been identified and rectified.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up 'was done' and 'has been done'.
Common Mistakes
The work has done.
The work has been done.
The books has been read.
The books have been read.
The report was been written.
The report has been written.
The project has been finished by me.
The project has been finished.
Sentence Patterns
The ___ has been ___.
Real World Usage
The budget has been approved.
The area has been evacuated.
The system has been updated.
The foundation has been laid.
The order has been prepared.
The goal has been reached!
Focus on the Object
Don't Overuse
Use for Status
Professionalism
Smart Tips
Use passive to sound objective.
Use passive to avoid guessing.
Focus on the object.
Vary your sentence structure.
Pronunciation
Contractions
In speech, 'has been' often becomes 's been'.
Falling intonation
The work has been DONE.
Finality and completion.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'H-B-P': Have/Has, Been, Participle.
Visual Association
Imagine a finished painting on a wall. The painter is gone, but the painting 'has been hung' perfectly.
Rhyme
When the action is done and the result is clear, use 'has been' and the past participle here.
Story
The chef finished the soup. The soup has been tasted. The soup has been served. The soup has been enjoyed.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about things that have been done in your house today.
Cultural Notes
Passive voice is highly preferred in formal reports.
Slightly more direct, but still used in business.
Passive is standard for scientific objectivity.
Derived from the Germanic perfect tense construction.
Conversation Starters
What has been achieved in your project so far?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
The report ___ (finish) by the team.
Find and fix the mistake:
The files has been saved.
___ the work been done?
They have signed the contract.
The cake has been eaten by me.
A: Is the room ready? B: Yes, it ___.
been / the / has / report / written
Which is passive present perfect?
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesThe report ___ (finish) by the team.
Find and fix the mistake:
The files has been saved.
___ the work been done?
They have signed the contract.
The cake has been eaten by me.
A: Is the room ready? B: Yes, it ___.
been / the / has / report / written
Which is passive present perfect?
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
It is better to use active voice for casual talk.
It is the past participle of 'be', required for perfect passive.
Mostly, yes.
Yes, use 'have been'.
That is exactly when to use it!
No, 'was done' is simple past.
Yes, 'I have been informed'.
Very common.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
ha sido hecho
English requires 'been' as the past participle of 'be'.
a été fait
French uses 'être' as the auxiliary for passive.
ist getan worden
German uses 'werden' for passive.
sarete iru
Japanese is agglutinative.
qad tumma al-fi'l
Arabic uses a specific verb for completion.
bei... le
Chinese does not conjugate verbs.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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