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I've read in BBC that we use use "being" as a verb-ing. BBC has listed two kinds of usage. What I want to learn here is about the "preposition+verb-ing" form of usage. It has been said that "being+past particle" here is functioning as a noun. But I don't know what kind of meanings it would convey. So, the following are two examples from BBC:

  1. I look forward to being interviewed on the current affairs programme. (What does "being interviewed" mean?)

  2. She was afraid of being accused of a crime which she did not commit. (Does it mean: She was afraid of that she was accused of a crime,...)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv197.shtml

I think the following are also the examples of "preposition+verb-ing":

John talks about being helped by a stranger. (Does it mean: john talks about that he was helped by a stranger.)

Before being moved to an apartment, he lived in a hostel. (Does it mean: "Before he was moved to...")

Despite being helped by nurse, he slipped and fell. (Does it mean: despite he was helped by nurse ,...)

What is the risk of being killed in war? (Does it mean: what is the risk of killing in a war?)

What are the chances of being killed by a falling tree? (Does it mean: what are the chances of killing in a war?) Share your experiences of being helped by a teacher.

(Does it mean: share your experiences when you were helped by a stranger?)

Please explain to me the meaning and usage of "being+past particle" when we use it with a "preposition".

Jasper
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yubraj
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  • You still don't know what being accused of (a crime which she did not commit) means? It is a passive construction. Look up to accuse. We accuse someone of a crime. – Alan Carmack Oct 27 '16 at 16:51
  • It seems a passive construction. But how it changed into 'Being accused' ?

    Does it mean: She was afraid of that she She had been accused of a crime which she didn't commmit. ?

    "Had been accused of a crime" changed into= "Being accused of a crime"

     – yubraj Oct 27 '16 at 19:03
  • I hope the answer of this question would be much mord benificial to All English Learners struggling with 'prepo. + verb-ing(passive) – yubraj Oct 27 '16 at 19:09
  • The examples are in the passive voice. Have you studied the passive voice in English? We form it with the copular verb be. One of the forms of be is the present participle being. With a past participle, we use it to form the passive voice in progressive tenses. We treat things like being helped just like any other noun phrase. In "John talks about being helped", the NP is the object of the preposition about. It's no different than any other object of a preposition. It's just like "John talks about the weather". – P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica Oct 27 '16 at 20:12
  • @P.E Dent I've studied about passive voice in English. For example: active=stranger helped john. Passive=John was helped by stranger. Now, Can't we say=john talks about stranger's help or john talks about helped by a stranger? Why to use "being helped' instead? – yubraj Oct 28 '16 at 00:57
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    "John talks about helped by a stranger" is meaningless in English. The preposition about can't take a past participle like "helped" as its object. It requires a noun phrase like Being helped. "Being helped" is a passive voice construction, and it's a noun phrase using the gerund (noun form) of the copular verb "be", just as eating doughnuts uses the gerund of the verb eat in the sentence "John talks about eating doughnuts." (Yes, a writer could also write "John talks about stranger's help." But this writer did not.) – P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica Oct 28 '16 at 01:55
  • In your examples: active=A stranger helped john. Passive=John was helped by a stranger. Do you see where the verb "be" is used? – P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica Oct 28 '16 at 02:04
  • I see the verb 'be' is used between 'helped' and 'joh – yubraj Oct 28 '16 at 04:05
  • It's clearly understood that the verb 'be' is used between 'john' and 'helped'. – yubraj Oct 28 '16 at 04:06
  • It's clearly understood that the verb 'be' is used between 'john' and 'helped'. The verb 'be' between them is 'was' – yubraj Oct 28 '16 at 04:07
  • But,once you told me in https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/106047/past-participle-vs-beingpast-participle that the meaning of 'being+past participle' and 'being+past participle is identical in meaning. And we can omit 'being'. Can't we omit 'being' here in above examples. – yubraj Oct 28 '16 at 04:17
  • @P.E Dent please respond me – yubraj Oct 28 '16 at 14:45
  • @yubrajsharma In your other questions that being Past Participle is an adjunct in the sentence level. In here it's a complement in Preposition Phrase level. – Man_From_India Oct 29 '16 at 01:28
  • Also related: Could you please explain how to use “preposition+ gerund” in a sentence? – Mari-Lou A Oct 31 '16 at 09:30
  • It seems that when we use passive gerund(which don't have a tense) it's just like infinitive(which don't have a tense either)

    To help=To be helped,

    helping=being helped

     – yubraj Oct 31 '16 at 14:40

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