I’m a non-native speaker but I work for a multinational company so I have to use English 95% of the time at work.
I find myself using has/have been a lot simply because it sounds right to me.
As an I example, I have to report on a status of a task/project. When should I use the below sentences?
• The project is completed.
• The project has been completed.
In: Other
You could use either of these, but I personally would not say “is completed”, I would actually say “is complete” to be accurate.
“The project is completed” really doesn’t roll off the tongue or read right to me.
To me, the D (past tense complete**d**) interferes with the state of “is” (as “is” is present). I think we’re into nuances here though, and not hard and fast rules. I actually don’t know why, I just know it’s right somehow. Something about past and present tenses. It feels like “is completed” works better as an answer to a question rather than a statement, and even then, I’d rather say, “The project is done or finished”. This is probably even more confusing… sorry lol
I definitely prefer the second version of “The project **has been** completed” which can also change meaning, but only through inflection, depending on the word you emphasize, but in print, without inflection, is more proper.
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