What is the past participle of be?

The past participle of be is been.

What are the three forms of be?

The three forms are be – was/were – been: base form, past simple and past participle.

Be past tense: was/were, been

exist, occur

Be is an irregular English verb: the past simple of be is was/were and the past participle is been. Learn the three forms together — be – was/were – been.

Verb forms

Base form

/biː/

Past Simple

was/were

/wɒz/, /wɜː/

Past Participle

been

/biːn/

Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).

Example sentences

Base form · be

I want to be a doctor when I finish university.

Past Simple · was/were

She was at the office until late last night.

Past Participle · been

He has been a teacher for over twenty years.

Key tenses

Present Simple	Past Simple	Present Perfect
I am / you are / they are he / she / it is	I was / you were / they were	I have been
Present Continuous:I am being · he / she / it is being

Learn when to use these forms:Past Simple lesson →Present Perfect lesson →

Grammar guide

Be belongs to the ABC group: all three forms are different (be – was/were – been), so each form has to be learnt separately.

Past simple – was/were: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
Past participle – been: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.

Verbs with the same pattern

do — did — done go — went — gone know — knew — known take — took — taken see — saw — seen give — gave — given

Questions about be

What is the past simple of be?: The past simple of be is was/were.
What is the past participle of be?: The past participle of be is been.
What are the three forms of be?: The three forms are be – was/were – been: base form, past simple and past participle.