The phrase he had been is an example of the past perfect tense in English. It is used to describe an action or state that was completed before another point or action in the past.
Structure
Subject + had + been + [present participle or complement]
Examples:
- He had been waiting for hours when she finally arrived.
- He had been a teacher before he became a writer.
- He had been working all day, so he was exhausted.
Common Uses
The past perfect tense with “had been” often appears in narratives to clarify the sequence of past events. It helps distinguish which action happened first.
Key Notes
- “Had been” can be followed by an adjective (e.g., he had been tired), a noun (e.g., he had been a student), or a verb ending in -ing (e.g., he had been running).
- It is not used for actions happening right now or in the future.
- Contractions like “he’d been” are common in informal writing and speech.