"5 Mistakes Everyone Makes With BE BEEN BEING — Finally Fixed!"

[00:00:00][music] >> Hello everyone and welcome back to Talk Emma. I'm Emma.

[00:00:10]>> And I'm Jack. Hello everyone. So happy to be here today.

[00:00:14]>> And today a very special episode, a follow-up to one of our most loved episodes.

[00:00:20]>> Be, Ben, Being.

[00:00:23]>> So many of you wrote to us after that episode and you said, "Emma, Jack, I understand the difference now, but I still keep making the same mistakes when I speak."

[00:00:34]>> And we heard you, every single message.

[00:00:37]>> So today we are fixing the five most common mistakes, the ones that almost every learner makes at every level.

[00:00:45]>> And by the end of today, those mistakes will be gone for good.

[00:00:49]>> And before we start, please subscribe to Talk Emma. New episode every single day.

[00:00:55]Share this with one friend who struggles with Be, Ben, and Being.

[00:01:00]>> Okay, five mistakes. Let's fix them all.

[00:01:03]Let's go. Emma, before we start, I want to share something.

[00:01:07]>> Go ahead.

[00:01:08]>> So last week I was helping a friend practice English and she said, "I am been very tired lately."

[00:01:16]>> Oh, that one.

[00:01:17]>> And I knew immediately something was wrong, but I could not explain it clearly enough in that moment.

[00:01:23]>> Because it feels almost right, doesn't it?

[00:01:26]>> Exactly. I am been tired. All the right words, but put together wrongly.

[00:01:34]>> And that is what today is about because these mistakes, they are not random.

[00:01:40]They are the same five every time from every learner at every level.

[00:01:45]>> So let's go through them, one by one, fix them and never make them again.

[00:01:50]>> Mistake one and this is the most common of all five.

[00:01:54]>> I am been tired.

[00:01:57]>> Jack, say that again for everyone.

[00:01:59]>> I am been tired.

[00:02:02]>> What is wrong there?

[00:02:04]>> Am and been together without anything in between.

[00:02:08]>> Exactly. And here is why this feels natural to so many learners.

[00:02:13]>> Because am feels right. I am. Yes, that is me present right now.

[00:02:19]>> And been feels right, too. Been past experience. Yes.

[00:02:24]>> So, putting them together feels logical.

[00:02:27]>> But in English, am and been cannot be partners. They cannot work together like that.

[00:02:33]>> Why not?

[00:02:34]>> Because been always needs have or has before it. Not am, not is, not are.

[00:02:41]>> So, the correct sentence >> I have been tired.

[00:02:45]>> I have been, not I am been.

[00:02:49]>> Think of it this way. Been never likes am. They simply do not go together.

[00:02:54]>> Been only works with have or has.

[00:02:58]>> I have been busy. Have before been.

[00:03:01]>> She has been working all morning. Has before been.

[00:03:06]>> We have been waiting for an hour. Have before been.

[00:03:10]>> Always, without exception.

[00:03:13]>> And the moment you hear yourself say am been, stop. Replace am with have.

[00:03:19]>> I am been. Stop. Change it. I have been.

[00:03:24]Much better. Always.

[00:03:26]>> Mistake one fixed.

[00:03:28]>> Mistake two, and this one very common among beginners.

[00:03:32]>> She's been working all day.

[00:03:35]>> What is wrong there?

[00:03:36]>> Is been together again. Same problem, different person.

[00:03:41]>> So, learners think she is. That is correct. She is present. And been, she has experience, past. Put them together.

[00:03:49]>> She's been working feels logical but wrong.

[00:03:53]>> Because is cannot go with been either.

[00:03:56]>> Only have and has can go with been.

[00:03:59]>> And she, third person singular, takes has, not have.

[00:04:04]>> So, the correct sentence >> She has been working all day.

[00:04:08]>> Has been, not is been.

[00:04:11]>> He has been feeling unwell. Has been, not is been.

[00:04:16]>> She has been thinking about it. Has been. Always. Simple rule. I have been.

[00:04:23]You have been. We have been. They have been. He, she, it has been.

[00:04:32]>> Nobody gets is been. Nobody gets am been. Nobody gets are been.

[00:04:38]>> Only have been and has been. Always, without exception.

[00:04:43]>> Mistake two, fixed.

[00:04:45]>> Mistake three, and this one surprises people because it feels so natural.

[00:04:51]>> I being happy today.

[00:04:54]>> Jack, what did you notice there?

[00:04:56]>> Something is missing.

[00:04:57]>> What is missing?

[00:04:59]>> Something before being.

[00:05:01]>> Exactly. Being cannot stand alone. It always needs am, is, or are before it.

[00:05:09]>> Think of being like a kite. It cannot fly without the string.

[00:05:14]>> And am, is, are, they are the string.

[00:05:18]Without them, being falls.

[00:05:20]>> I being happy, no string. Being is falling.

[00:05:25]>> I am being happy. String attached, being is flying.

[00:05:30]>> And in natural English, we usually contract it.

[00:05:33]>> I'm being very patient today. She's being really kind. They're being a little difficult.

[00:05:41]>> Always am, is, are before being. Always.

[00:05:46]>> I being, Stop. Add am first. I am being.

[00:05:52]Now it works.

[00:05:53]>> And for other people?

[00:05:55]>> He is being very quiet today. Is before being. They are being a little unfair.

[00:06:02]Are before being. You are being very patient with me. Are before being.

[00:06:09]>> Being needs a partner, always, every single time.

[00:06:14]>> Mistake three, fixed.

[00:06:16]>> Emma, I want to try something.

[00:06:18]>> What?

[00:06:19]>> I want to make all three mistakes right now, on purpose, and you correct me.

[00:06:24]>> [laughter] >> Okay, go ahead.

[00:06:26]>> I am been very busy this week.

[00:06:29]>> Stop. Am been, wrong. Replace am with have.

[00:06:34]>> I have been very busy this week.

[00:06:37]>> Perfect. Next.

[00:06:39]>> She has been working since this morning.

[00:06:42]>> Is been, wrong. Replace is with has.

[00:06:46]>> She has been working since this morning.

[00:06:49]>> Beautiful. Last one.

[00:06:51]>> I being really nervous about today.

[00:06:54]>> Being without a partner, wrong. Add am before being.

[00:07:00]>> I am being really nervous about today.

[00:07:04]>> All three fixed in 30 seconds.

[00:07:08]>> See, once you know what to look for, you catch them immediately.

[00:07:12]>> Always. Okay, mistake four. And this one about word order, which most learners never think about.

[00:07:20]>> He is very being kind today.

[00:07:23]>> Jack, what did you feel there?

[00:07:25]>> Something felt out of order, like the words were in the wrong position.

[00:07:30]>> Exactly. Very came before being, and that is wrong.

[00:07:35]>> Why?

[00:07:36]>> Because in English, very comes after being, not before it.

[00:07:41]>> So, the correct sentence >> He is being very kind today.

[00:07:46]>> Being, then very, then the adjective.

[00:07:49]>> Always in that order. Being first, then the describing word.

[00:07:54]>> She is being very patient. Being first, very after. You are being very helpful.

[00:08:01]Being first, very after. They are being very understanding. Always the same order.

[00:08:09]>> And it's not just very, any adverb, really, quite, so, extremely, they all come after being.

[00:08:18]>> She is being really difficult. Being first, really after. He is being quite unreasonable. Being first, quite after.

[00:08:28]>> Think of being as the door and the describing word as what's inside the room.

[00:08:34]>> You open the door first, being, and then you see what's inside, the adjective.

[00:08:40]>> Very being kind, you cannot see what is inside before the door opens. Very being kind, door opens first, then you see.

[00:08:49]>> That is a very good way to remember it.

[00:08:52]>> Thank you. Mistake four, fixed.

[00:08:54]>> And mistake five, the last one. And this one very interesting because it is about meaning, not just grammar.

[00:09:03]>> I am be careful.

[00:09:05]>> What is wrong there?

[00:09:06]>> Am and be together, they cannot work like that.

[00:09:09]>> Why not?

[00:09:10]>> Because be in commands, in advice, in instructions, it stands completely alone, nothing before it.

[00:09:17]>> So, when someone says, be careful, be quiet, be patient >> There is nothing before be, no am, no is, no are, just be alone.

[00:09:29]>> Be is the instruction itself.

[00:09:31]>> Be careful. Be honest. Be yourself.

[00:09:34]>> So, I am be careful, what went wrong?

[00:09:37]>> The person tried to add I am thinking it makes the sentence more complete.

[00:09:42]>> But it does not. It breaks it.

[00:09:44]>> Because in this use, be does not need I am before it. It is already complete on its own.

[00:09:51]>> I am be careful. Too much. Am and be fighting each other. Be careful. Just be perfect, complete.

[00:09:59]>> And when you want to say you personally will be careful, >> you say I will be careful. Will before be, not am before be.

[00:10:08]>> I will be patient. I will be on time. I will be honest with you.

[00:10:13]>> Will be when talking about yourself in the future. Just be when giving advice or instruction.

[00:10:20]>> Am being when describing current temporary behavior.

[00:10:23]>> Three completely different situations.

[00:10:26]Three completely different structures.

[00:10:29]>> And now crystal clear. Now one complete natural conversation. All five mistakes corrected naturally, the way real people talk. Two friends catching up after a busy week.

[00:10:40]>> I have been so exhausted this week. Work has been really intense.

[00:10:45]>> I can imagine. Has the new project been difficult?

[00:10:48]>> Very. And honestly, my manager has been quite demanding lately.

[00:10:52]>> That sounds tough. How are you being about it all? Are you managing okay?

[00:10:57]>> I am being very patient, trying to stay calm, but it is not easy.

[00:11:02]>> I know. Just be honest with yourself about how you're feeling. Do not hide it.

[00:11:07]>> You're right. I have been telling myself everything is fine, but it has not been.

[00:11:12]>> It's okay to admit that. How long has this been going on?

[00:11:16]>> About 3 weeks now. The whole team has been feeling the pressure.

[00:11:20]>> Have you spoken to anyone about it?

[00:11:22]>> Not yet. I'm being a little too proud about it, I know.

[00:11:25]>> Just be open. People want to help. And you've been working so hard. You deserve support.

[00:11:32]>> Thank you, Emma. That means a lot.

[00:11:34]>> And did everyone notice how naturally be, been, and being appeared?

[00:11:40]>> Just natural, correct. Flowing.

[00:11:43]>> And that's what happens when you fix these five mistakes. Your English just flows.

[00:11:49]>> Before we finish, I want to say something.

[00:11:52]>> Say it.

[00:11:52]>> These five mistakes, they're not signs that your English is bad. They're signs that your brain is working hard trying to put things together.

[00:12:01]>> And the brain always gets it slightly wrong before it gets it right.

[00:12:06]>> That's how learning works, always.

[00:12:08]>> Five mistakes, all fixed, all yours starting today.

[00:12:13]>> And if you hear yourself making one of them, >> do not stop. Do not panic. Just correct and keep going.

[00:12:20]>> Because a correction mid-sentence is not a failure.

[00:12:24]>> It's proof that you're learning and growing every single day.

[00:12:29]>> If today's episode fixed something you've been struggling with, >> please like this video.

[00:12:34]>> Subscribe to Talk Emma.

[00:12:36]>> And if you missed our original be, been, being episode, go back and watch it first. The link is in the description.

[00:12:44]>> And leave us a comment. Which of the five mistakes were you making? Or write one correct sentence using be, been, or being.

[00:12:53]>> We read every single comment. Everyone.

[00:12:57]>> Thank you for being here. See you in the next episode. Until then, >> keep talking, keep learning, and keep growing. Bye, everyone.