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Have Done’ vs. ‘Have Been Done’: Unraveling the Facts

Have Done’ vs. ‘Have Been Done’: Unraveling the Facts

Language plays a vital role in society; it is the medium that individuals have to communicate, and language is what makes them distinct from other societies.

Society is not bound to one language, but it is the collective of all languages spoken in the country that comes together, and they tend to speak each other’s language.

A verb form called a tense allows you to indicate time. The verb’s tense indicates the time period in which an event occurred or an object or a person performed an action.

The three basic tenses are past, present, and future. The three basic tenses are past, present, and future.

In a passive statement in the present perfect tense, the verb “have been done” would be used, as in “Great things have been done by them.” The present perfect tense is used when the words “have done” are used in a phrase, as in “They have done wonderful things.

Learn more about the differences between these two phrases as you read this blog post.

What Are The Types Of Languages?

The language represents the culture and unity of the country’s people, and the combination of different languages enriches the societies.

There are two types of languages in the country: one is the national language, which is accepted throughout the country and is understood everywhere within the country. The second is the tribal language, which varies from tribe to tribe or from area to area.

The national language might be spoken or understood in other countries, but tribal languages are only spoken by the people of that tribe. The country has to choose wisely between the national and tribal languages, and the national language is that language that is spoken or understood by the majority.

There is an international language that is spoken or understood in most parts of the world; and most importantly, it is the language in which most countries communicate with one another. This language is the English language.

English As An International Language

The world is bound to speak the English language as the international language because any other language that might be in the majority other than English is not accepted or spoken in some places. English has made a special connection and is now taught in countries around the world.

When the child is born, the first thing that he should be able to do is to be fluent in his domestic or national language. In Asia, parents are often proud if their child does not speak their native language but understands English.

This sort of child is often considered one of the most brilliant ones which can be wrong; because if the child does not know the tribal and national languages, he might not be capable of living there. But this is often not a problem for these parents because their main goal is to send their children abroad.

English language
English is an international language

Different Accents Of The English Language

When the English language was invented, there were many difficult words and phrases that people still find hard to use in their daily communication. There are so many new accents and dialects that people have to decide which one they can learn easily.

Among the most difficult ones is the British accent, basically the pioneer of English. These words are now replaced by much easier and shorter words that are easy and appealing to use in some places.

Due to the sheer number of words and phrases, people usually have much confusion regarding these phrases. For the new learner, it can be very difficult to be fluent in speaking as he is confused about the words he should be using. 

The phrases “have been done” and “have done” can hold much confusion, as some say that it should just be “have done,” while others say that it is complete with “been” in the middle as “have been done.” Based on a grammatical point of view, both are correct but are often used in different contexts.

What Does “Have Been Done” Mean?

The phrase “have been done” indicates the completion of any task or is said after when the task is finished or for a halt position. It might sound like the phrase has done holds the same meaning and in fact, it does but there is a massive difference which is of a timeline.

The phrase “have been done” refers to something that has already been done in the past and is now complete.

The great paintings and arts were done by the pioneers.

In this example, it is clear that the greatest art galleries have been and are decorated with the painting of the pioneers of art who invented the painting. Now that the paintings are still being made, no one can reinvent the idea of painting as it has already been discovered, and no one can undo the past.

"Have been done"
“Have been done”

What Does “Have Done” Represent?

The phrase “have done” also represents the completion of a task. The phrase “have done” belongs to the present perfect tense and is usually used with the present perfect tense; otherwise, it could be wrong or the sentence might be grammatically wrong.

The sentence: “They have done their homework.” refers to the quick completion of the task, as there is still room for correction in that homework.

This is the point where most people get it wrong and use both of them without realizing that they might be making grammatical mistakes, which many people don’t notice. But if the listener is a native speaker, then it is more likely that he will catch the grammatical mistake.

Some Phrases That Can Cause Confusion

There are many phrases that can cause normal confusion in people. No matter how long they have been speaking English, it is likely that they have been making grammatical errors.

There are numerous phrases like those below, and the confusion has been there for so long. People who are confused about the difference between these phrases can get help from native speakers, but there are cases where people keep forgetting the difference and use them wrongly.

  • Some of these phrases are whether you should say that “you are in bed or on the bed
  • How to tell someone that you are shopping, tell them whether you are “at the shopping mall or in the shopping mall”.

Distinguishing Features Between Phrases “Have Done” And “Have Been Done”

FeaturesHave doneHave been done
TensesThe phrase “have done” belongs to the present perfect tense and represents the temporary completion of any task which means that that task can still be improved.  The phrase “have been done” belongs to the present perfect passive tense. It is the representation of the permanent completion of a task.
Grammar“Have done” is grammatically sound and it is used widely by everyone.
Native speakers also use it and sometimes they can also be confused with the difference between them.  
“Have been done” is also grammatically okay but it belongs to the passive voice and that’s one of the reasons many people get confused between them.
It is okay to use it in normal and casual speeches but you have to pay close attention to the voice you are talking in.  
VoiceThe phrase “have done” indicates the active voice of the sentence and from the grammatical point of view it belongs to the active voice and is correct when used with the active voice. The phrase “have been done” refers to the passive voice of the sentence and from the grammatical point of view, if it is used with the passive voice, only it will be marked as correct.
Comparison Table: Have Done and Have Been Done
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Conclusion

  • The gist of our research tells us that till now many people no matter for how long they have been speaking English are confused about the correct use of the phrase “have done” and “have been done”,
  • People tend to understand the difference but many native speakers are also confused about grammar and the voices behind the correct use of both.
  • The phrase “have done” belongs to the active voice while the phrase “have been done” belongs to the passive voice.

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