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To be / to have: -ing forms...

Mostly and most often, 'Be' and 'have' are  auxiliaries, which means they help to conjugate other verbs, in order to be able to express different nuances. 

Sometimes, they also behave like  ordinary verbs needing auxiliaries to get and give a meaning.

At other times,  'to have' doesn't even express a possession... 

'Ordinary' verbs  no longer meaning 'identifying (to be) or possessing (to have)'!  This is the category of verbs we'll be interested in here.  

 

A) TO BE : is not normally used in the -ing form.

ex : Paul is really a fool. You mustn't follow his advice.  

ex : I'm a teacher;  he's a doctor;  they are our cousins. 

It is obvious that here, 'to be' can't be put in the  - ing form. Yet: 

1) When 'to be' describes a present behaviour, it must be in the   - ing form.

ex: Mary ? Are you being funny? 

 

ex : Stop that immediately! You're being stupid!  

2) In the passive form, 'to be' is the auxiliary used to build the passive BUT  may bear the - ing form.

ex : A new motorway is being built next to his garden... (they're building it now...)

ex : When she landed from that risky area she was being carefully looked after and examined by all the doctors of the airport for hours.  

                           

B) TO HAVE : doesn't always express a possession.

A large number of expressions using 'have' express  different activities. 

To have a wash; to have a shave; to have a shower/ a bath; 

To have a meal ; to have a cup of coffee; to have a drink;

To have a good time; to have a holiday; to have a swim; 

To have a good trip/ journey;

To have a try;  to have a go. 

To have a nervous breakdown;

To have a look; 

To have a dream; 

ex : I'm sorry, you'll have to wait, she's having lunch. 

                                                  


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1) I’m afraid nobody is available at the moment : the kids being a restare had a rest've been a restare having a restI don't know and my mom is having a bathhad a bathis been a bathhave a bathI don't know while the housework 's being donehas being donewill have be doneI don't know by Maria, our help.
2) Have youHave you beenDid you haveWere you haveI don't know a good time? Oh yes, for 3 hours, I've been hadI just had beenI've just hadI had having justI don't know the best fun in my life! We've hadWe've been haveWe've being havingI don't know a party with your friends and it was great! The room is just being clearedhave clearedhave being clearedhave been clearedI don't know .
3) We can leave, now … having a lookI was having a lookwas had a lookhad been a lookI don't know at the map while you are having still're still havingwere still havingwere having stillI don't know breakfast. Have you beingAre youYou're beingYou areI don't know ready, now?
4) Will you had a walkHave you will walkHave you a walkWill you have a walkI don't know with me? No! I beg your pardon? I think you're had rudeyou're being rudeyou've being rudeyou're been rudeI don't know, really… I 'll havehad've been haveI'm havingI don't know a dream, you know … and this dream be destroyedis being destroyedis been destroyedI don't know by your cruelty now. You’re bad!
5) Can you been a restyou have a restyou be a restyou being a restI don't know here while your room is being cleanedhas cleanedis been cleanedhas being cleanedI don't know ?

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