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Please see the sentences.

  1. She is excited to be a mother.
  2. She is excited about being a mother.

Is sentence 2 means that she is happy just by the thought of becoming a mother and she doesn't have a baby? If yes then why we say 'I am happy to be here' when we are actually present there.

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  • To be or not to be, is not being or not being.
    – Lambie
    Commented Apr 28, 2020 at 18:09

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What is traditionally known as the present participle, in spite of its name, gives no time reference.

  • Being a lumberjack, he had a hearty appetite.
  • Being a lumberjack, he has a hearty appetite.
  • Being a lumberjack when he leaves school will mean that he will have a hearty appetite.

So with the sentence given, 'She is excited about being a mother', 'being' does not indicate whether the state is new (not longstanding, or the excitement would be unusual) or anticipated. A present state, or an [anticipated] future state.

But 'She is excited to be a mother' means that she is a recent mother. 'I am happy to be here' likewise addresses an existing state. 'She was happy to be a mother' would address an existing state at the time referred to.

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    But we also say 'I would love to be there' which is not an existing state. Also why we don't say I'm happy being here? Why we say I'm happy to be here when they both mean the same ?
    – Rocky
    Commented Apr 28, 2020 at 17:24
  • Now you are introducing different strings. The above deals with (A) the [... excited / worried / concerned ... about being etc ...] string and the [ ... excited / happy / privileged ... to be ...] string. 'I would love to be there' talks of a desired, irrealis state. 'I'm happy being/living here' is acceptable. 'I'm happy to be here' often connotes 'I almost didn't make it', ie an arrival (and perhaps a brush with death). You're asking about a fairly large proportion of the language now.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Apr 28, 2020 at 18:19
  • The present participle, in spite of its name, gives no time reference. It is called "a participle", not "the present participle". It indicates a state or action that was incomplete at the time referred to.++ Likewise the infinitive has no tense, but indicates the state or action as a whole.
    – Greybeard
    Commented Apr 28, 2020 at 18:19
  • I suggest you look up the term 'present participle' in OED to see whether they acknowledge the compound noun. Most other dictionaries do. I think the above 'comment' is at best mischievous.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Apr 28, 2020 at 18:24
  • I just heard this sentence in a movie where someone said "I'm happy to be here" while walking in the garden with someone.Unlike you stated that it often connotes 'I almost didn't make it', ie an arrival (and perhaps a brush with death).
    – Rocky
    Commented Apr 28, 2020 at 18:35

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