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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 've been a restare having a restbeing a restare had a restI don't know and my mom had a bathis been a bathhave a bathis having a bathI don't know while the housework has being donewill have be done's being doneI don't know by Maria, our help.
2) Have you beenWere you haveDid you haveHave youI don't know a good time? Oh yes, for 3 hours, I've just hadI've been hadI just had beenI 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 have being clearedhave been clearedhave clearedis just being clearedI don't know .
3) We can leave, now … was had a lookhad been a lookI was having a lookhaving a lookI don't know at the map while you 're still havingare having stillwere having stillwere still havingI don't know breakfast. You areAre youYou're beingHave you beingI don't know ready, now?
4) Will you had a walkWill you have a walkHave you will walkHave you a walkI don't know with me? No! I beg your pardon? I think you're being rudeyou're had rudeyou've being rudeyou're been rudeI don't know, really… I 'll have've been haveI'm havinghadI 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 being a restyou be a restyou been a restyou have a restI don't know here while your room has cleanedhas being cleanedis been cleanedis being cleanedI don't know ?

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