The verb to be · Conjugation
Past Perfect of be
The answer: had been
B2
A past action that happened before another past action.
Quick answer
The Past Perfect of the verb to be is had been.
Example: She had already been to London when I met her.
Full conjugation in the Past Perfect
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | had been | I'd been |
| You | had been | You'd been |
| He / She / It | had been | He'd / She'd / It'd been |
| We | had been | We'd been |
| You (pl.) | had been | You'd been |
| They | had been | They'd been |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I had being ❌
After had, use the past participle been, not the -ing form being: I had been. The two words sound similar, so check the helper verb: had been, but was being.
2. Yesterday I had gone to the cinema ❌
Use the Past Perfect only for the earlier of two past actions. For one past action, the Past Simple is enough: Yesterday I went to the cinema. With be: was for one action, had been for the action that came first.
3. 'd + past participle = had
'd can mean had or would. Look at the next word. 'd + past participle = had: I'd been = I had been. 'd + base form = would: I'd be = I would be.
Practice quiz
Going further
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate be in the Past Perfect?+
Use had + the past participle been. The form is the same for every person: I had been, she had been, they had been. The short form is 'd: I'd been.
When do you use the Past Perfect of be?+
Use it for an action that happened before another action in the past. It shows which action came first: When we arrived, the film had already started. The film started first, and then we arrived. Signal words: before, after, already, by the time.
What is the past participle of be?+
The past participle of be is been. You use it after have, has and had. It is different from the Past Simple. Learn the three forms together: be, was / were, been.
What is the difference between had been and have been?+
Have been (Present Perfect) connects the past to now. Had been (Past Perfect) connects an earlier past to a later past. Compare: I have finished my homework (so I can play now) and I had finished my homework before dinner.
How do you make the negative and the question of be in the Past Perfect?+
Negative: I hadn't been (had not). Question: put had before the subject: Had you been…? The past participle does not change.
Related pages: be Past Perfect
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/be/past-perfect
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
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More forms of the verb to be are coming soon.