Something has been being/getting done

[tufguy]

1) The claim has been getting processed for one year but hasn't come to a conclusion.

2) The building has been getting built for two years but it is still under construction.


Can we say "Something has been being/getting done"?

 

[Tdol]

I wouldn't use getting there. There's nothing grammatically wrong with been being, but it sounds odd, so we generally try to avoid it. Try rewriting the sentences without using it.

 

[tufguy]

I wouldn't use getting there. There's nothing grammatically wrong with been being, but it sounds odd, so we generally try to avoid it. Try rewriting the sentences without using it.

1) The claim is being processed for one year but hasn't come to a conclusion.

2) The building is getting built for two years but it is still under construction.

Are these correct now? But we use "Have/has been/done" with "since or for". Am I right? I mean if something has been happening for some time. Isn't it incorrect to say "Something is happening since July or for one year"?

 

[Tdol]

They don't work with the present progressive. I would try to use the present perfect simple, so you might have to reword the sentences. You could, for example, say that The processes for the claim have taken over a year so far and they still haven't reached a decision.

 

[tufguy]

They don't work with the present progressive. I would try to use the present perfect simple, so you might have to reword the sentences. You could, for example, say that The processes for the claim have taken over a year so far and they still haven't reached a decision.

So, there is no continuous form. Am I right?

 

[tufguy]

They don't work with the present progressive. I would try to use the present perfect simple, so you might have to reword the sentences. You could, for example, say that The processes for the claim have taken over a year so far and they still haven't reached a decision.

The building construction has taken place over a year and it is still under construction.

The process for the claim has taken place over a year and it is still in process.

What does "Over a year" mean here? Does it mean "Before one year"?

 

[Tdol]

So, there is no continuous form. Am I right?

Where did you get that from? In my first answer, I said that been being was not wrong, but unusual and something we try to avoid. However, you cannot replace it by substituting and continuous form, and the present continuous does not work with the clear reference to past time.

 

[Tarheel]

Perhaps:

The building has been under construction for two years.

 

[tufguy]

Where did you get that from? In my first answer, I said that been being was not wrong, but unusual and something we try to avoid. However, you cannot replace it by substituting and continuous form, and the present continuous does not work with the clear reference to past time.

What does "Over a year" mean here?

 

[Rover_KE]

It means 'more than a year'.

 

[emsr2d2]

There is nothing grammatically wrong with:

1. The building has been being built for two years/has been being built since 2015.
2. The claim has been being processed for over a year.

... but, as you have been told, the "been being" construction can sound awkward and it always seems to cause problems for learners.