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What is the difference between following sentence constructions?

It has been developed vs. It is being developed

It has been held vs. It is being held

is being: what is the grammar used here and when is it used?

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    Has been developed = the devepoment is complete. Is being developed = the devepolment is still going on.
    – Armen Ծիրունյան
    Jul 26, 2013 at 7:44
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    @nish: My kind request: You could have done a simple google search before asking such a basic question. It is very easy to find an answer for this. Try something before you ask it here.
    – VijayaRagavan
    Jul 26, 2013 at 8:50
  • I did search , and did not find somthing clear enough to me. that's why I raised the question here.
    – nish1013
    Jul 26, 2013 at 9:02
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    You should not vote for the first answer that appears. It's a good idea to wait if other users will provide better and "clearer" answers. Users are motivated to give answers if their explanations are ALSO upvoted. This question would have been much better suited in ELL than here.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Jul 26, 2013 at 10:20

2 Answers 2

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Your examples indicate the difference between the present perfect tense and the present progressive tense.

The product has been developed by an American company.

Has been is present perfect tense; addition of the past participle makes it present perfect passive. It means development of the product has finished recently (you wouldn't say "the product has been developed" if development finished 50 years ago).

The product is being developed by an American company.

Is being is present progressive tense; addition of the past participle makes it present progressive passive. Development of the product has started but is not yet finished. Present progressive tense can also be used to refer to a future event. This is clearer with your "is being held example":

The boat show is being held in August.

My uncle is arriving next week.

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    so what is the different between "The boat show is being held in August." and "The boat show is helding in August."
    – nish1013
    Jul 26, 2013 at 9:04
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    There is no such word as 'helding' nish. Go through active and passive voice. I give you an example, Active voice: I am telling you. Passive voice: You are being told. The same happens there. Its a sentence in passive voice.
    – VijayaRagavan
    Jul 26, 2013 at 10:00
  • Do some research in basic grammar. You'll get them easily. Don't worry.
    – VijayaRagavan
    Jul 26, 2013 at 10:01
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Frank answered the first part of your question. Let me take the last part.

There is no such word in English as "helding". Perhaps the word you are looking for is "holding". The difference here is active voice versus passive voice.

If I say, "X is being held", I mean that something else is holding X. If I say, "X is holding", I mean that X is holding something else. That is, "X is being held" means that X is the target of the action. "X is holding" means that X is the one doing the action.

Similarly for other verbs. "Bob is watching." Bob is doing the watching. "Bob is being watched." Someone else is watching Bob. Etc.

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