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I need to know whether the following sentence is grammatically correct or not. Specifically, I am unsure about have been being investigated part. Do the times that I am using match each other?

The interest in researching X has been growing in recent years, and as its applications to various fields have been being investigated, it has been realized that X which can directly deal with Y is desired in several fields.

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  • been being should be just been
    – mplungjan
    Commented Feb 11, 2013 at 14:14
  • @mplungjan is everything else correct?
    – Sunny88
    Commented Feb 11, 2013 at 14:17
  • I think "it has been realized that" is awful. Commented Feb 11, 2013 at 14:23
  • @DavidSchwartz By itself, or in context? google.com/search?q=%22it+has+been+realized+that%22
    – Sunny88
    Commented Feb 11, 2013 at 14:28
  • I think it's poor in any context, but especially awful when following a similar construction, "have been / has been". Commented Feb 11, 2013 at 14:31

4 Answers 4

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I think that this sentence's problems start with the deadening and befogging use of passive voice. If I were trying to help readers understand whose interest in researching X is growing, who is investigating its applications to various fields, who has realized the desirability of "X which can directly deal with Y," and who desires it, I would recast much of the sentence in active voice. Because I don't know the various entities behind the growing interest, the investigations, the realization, or the desire, I must guess at their identity in my recast version. Here it is:

Academic interest in researching X has been growing in recent years, as researchers have investigated its application to various fields and as others have recognized the desirability of identifying the ways in which X can directly deal with Y.

By reducing the number of passive terms from four ("has been growing," "have been being investigated," "has been realized," and "is desired") to one ("has been growing"), my revision enables readers to grasp more clearly who is doing what in the sentence. The rewrite also renders the verb tenses simpler and more coherent.

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  • Even better: "has been growing" is not passive, so your rewrite eliminated all use of passive voice.
    – Rosie F
    Commented Dec 5, 2018 at 19:35
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Try this

The interest in researching X has been growing in recent years. While its applications were investigated, it was realized that X, which can directly deal with Y, is desired in several fields.

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  • Shouldn't it be " applications were investigated"?
    – Sunny88
    Commented Feb 11, 2013 at 14:19
  • Yes, missed the plural
    – mplungjan
    Commented Feb 11, 2013 at 14:22
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I think it's not correct.how can we put the be verbs together directly been and being + past participle? I think been being +noun/ adjective sounds good but been being+past participle is not .In been being+noun/adjective, being creates phrase but been being+ past participle doesn't make sense.

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  • This is not a discussion forum. "Thoughts" belong in the comment section of the question. Commented Jul 15, 2018 at 16:20
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The "have been being" construct is grammatically correct: it is an example of the combination of progressive and perfect aspects and the passive voice. It is rare, but it has been used, as a search for the string "have been being" will testify.

  • simple aspect: Researchers investigate applications. Applications are investigated.
  • progressive aspect: Researchers are investigating applications. Applications are being investigated.
  • perfect aspect: Researchers have investigated applications. Applications have been investigated.
  • perfect progressive aspect: Researchers have been investigating applications. Applications have been being investigated.

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