"being doing", "having been doing" : are there such usages?

Question

Hello,I would like to learn whether there are such gerunds as* being doing* having been doing.If so, how can I passivize them?Thanks.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I suppose it's possible, but they're not going to be pretty:

Having been doing calisthenics for three hours, I am tired.
Calisthenics having been done by me for three hours, they thankfully ceased.

I cannot think of a reasonable example for the other (not to say that my first example is legitimate).

Nyarlathotep · Answer

"Have you ever seen a human being doing yoga?"

(I cannot think of an example either.

)

Yulysess · Answer

Nyarlathotep"Have you ever seen a human being doing yoga?"

(I cannot think of an example either. )

"human being"; "being" here , I think, is not the phrase seyfihoca meant .

Cairn · Answer

Hello seyfihoca,

I believe your second phrase (having been doing) is a past participle, and it really sounds akward (and funny) when you passivize it.

I suppose the being doing phrase might exist as a gerund (not a present participle) ... somewhere... Perhaps I need some time and I will come up with an example...(at least as akward as the one above).

Well, maybe somebody else will?

rgds,

cairn

Ticce · Answer

Having been being taught for two hours he started to feel enlightened.

Grammarfreak · Answer

TicceHaving been being taught for two hours he started to feel enlightened.

It would be correct if you take "being" out, and place a comma after " hours".

Ticce · Answer

I think the right word you want to use is "conventional" not "correct", as it is correct but nobody says that way of course. There is no need leaving "being" out, as it can be used that way.

The car has been being fixed that way for the last 3 years.

Grammarfreak · Answer

TicceI think the right word you want to use is "conventional" not "correct", as it is correct but nobody says that way of course. There is no need leaving "being" out, as it can be used that way.The car has been being fixed that way for the last 3 years.

The car has been being fixed that way for the last 3 years.

Conventional? I'd give you credit for being creative.
Of course, if you like to be unconventional, feel free to do so. Being - has the connotation of " happening as we speak ", i.e. you are being silly, or your order is being prepared.
As used in your sentence, being - is semantically incorrect by any standard.

CalifJim · Answer

seyfihocaI would like to learn whether there are such gerunds as* being doing* having been doing.

There is no "being doing". There is "having been doing" and its passive is "having been being done", which is very rarely used.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

I still don't know about "being doing", but thank you for this moment reading your comments.It was a funny time.

"being doing", "having been doing" : are there such usages?

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