[Grammar] 'Was been+past participle' - is it possible?

[Mary_Poppins]

Hello to everybody,

This is my first post on this forum but I've been reading it for several months. I think this forum is the most useful forum for everyone who wants to learn English.

Few days ago I watched a movie, it was Agatha Christie's Poirot. And Poirot said 'She was been attacked'. This sentence seems very odd to me since I've never seen such a construction at any grammar book. It's not a Present Perfect Passive, it's not a Past Simple Passive... I know that he meant the Passive Voice but what tense?

Is this sentence grammatically correct? If so, could you please explain this structure to me? Or it was just a mistake from Ms Poirot?

Thank you very much in advance. I'll be waiting for your answers.

 

[riquecohen]

Welcome to the forum, Mary_Poppins.
This sentence is, indeed, odd: there is no such structure in English. Do you think he possibly could have said "She has been attacked"? That would make sense.

 

[Mary_Poppins]

Hi riquecohen,
Thank you very much for your answer!
We scrolled the film backward and forward several times but every time we heard exactly the same phrase "She was been". Unfortunately, we didn't turn on the subtitle mode so I can't be 100% sure. I've checked Google and found a lot of "was been vs has been" requests there . So, I'm not the only one confused.:-D

 

[tzfujimino]

Hello.
'She was being attacked' is grammatically possible.
Was it not 'being'?

 

[Mary_Poppins]

Hello tzfujimino

Yes, I think it could be 'was being attacked'. Is this Past Simple Continuos Passive? When I should use this tense?

 

[tzfujimino]

Hello, again.
It's called the 'the past continuous (progressive) passive'.
'She was being attacked' means 'She was in the middle of being attacked/assaulted'.

For more information on 'the passive': http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv119.shtml
I hope my response will be of some help to you.

 

[Mary_Poppins]

I hope my response will be of some help to you.

Yes, thank you very much!

Great, a spelling mistake. Shame on me.(

 

[Mary_Poppins]

I'm sorry but I'm not sure that I understand the last part of the article from the link above correctly:

"Note that in informal English we can also use you or they to refer to people in general and also in this way avoid using the passive. Compare the following:

• They're going to build another runway at Heathrow Airport.
• A new runway will be built at Heathrow Airport some time next year.
  
  
• You can buy all kinds of exotic food in Soho.
• All kinds of exotic food can be bought in Soho.
  
  
• You have to leave all your valuables and jewellery in the lockers that they provide in the changing rooms. You can't take valuables into the sports centre itself.
• All valuables and jewellery must be left in the lockers that are provided in the changing rooms. Valuables may not be taken into the sports centre itself."

So, every other sentence from these examples is correct but more suitable for formal English, isn't it?

 

[tzfujimino]

Hello, Mary.

Well, the part you quote is discussing how to avoid using the passive, so [STRIKE]you shouldn't take it to mean "(The passive versions are) more suitable for formal English," in my opinion.[/STRIKE]

(Edit) I'll take back what I said above, Mary. I apologize for any confusion caused.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

Yes, that is exactly what it means.

The less formal versions are what everybody uses all the time.

The first two examples sound like something you might read in a newspaper, and the third could be on a sign.

Edit: I was writing at the same time as tzfujimino.
My post is in answer to #8.

 

[tzfujimino]

I am not a teacher.

Yes, that is exactly what it means.

The less formal versions are what everybody uses all the time.

The first two examples sound like something you might read in a newspaper, and the third could be on a sign.

Edit: I was writing at the same time as tzfujimino.
My post is in answer to #8.

Thank you for clarifying that, Roman.
So, does that mean the passives sound unnatural in an informal context?

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

Not always, but in those examples it sounds a little stuffy. The passive is not particularly conversational.

 

[Mary_Poppins]

The passive is not particularly conversational.

As for me, I agree that passive voice is more suitable for formal English. I know that, for example, at IELTS at the Writing part, especially at an essay, using passive voice might add ones points. (P.S. I've already passed my IELTS:-D)

Thank all of you very much!