Is it "being frightened" or "frightened"? Thanks.|||?

Question

Would you please help me wih the questions below? Thanks.
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"Though badly_____ (frighten), the girl remained outwardly calm."

Q1. I am not sure that it is "being frightened" or "frightened". What are the nuances? How to make correct sentences with the two forms?
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"For the last few years, I went to work on the underground."

Q2. Shouldn't it be "I have gone to work..."?

Q3. Can I say "within/during the last few years"?

Thanks.
Best wishes.

Answer 1

"For the last few years, I HAVE WORKED on the underground."



since : to say that something started at a POINT IN TIME in the past, and is still continuing

"Since 2006, I HAVE BEEN WORKING on the underground."



for : when you state the LENGTH of time that something has been happening

• We have known each other for ten years.

• I had been waiting for hours.

• I haven't seen him for ages.

For the last few years, I HAVE WORKED on the underground."



duration : used when something happens or changes within a TIME PERIOD with a definite start and finish.

During the concert, some child kept saying, "Is it nearly over yet?"

During her first year in college, she dated a lot a students.

"During the Uni. summer vacation last year , I WORKED on the underground."



within : tickets go on sale for a concert. There is a PERIOD OF TIME stretching from when they go on sale, till they are (i) sold out or (ii) a few minutes before the show starts. 'within' refers to a shorter period of time, from when tickets go on sale, and ending before the expected end. The shorter period of time occurs WITHIN the longer period of time.

Tickets were sold out WITHIN two hours of going on sale."

"33 per cent offended again within two years of being released from prison."

They are released from prison, and the expectation is that they will not re-offend before they die (the end of the time period). But they "re-offended within two years" of being released.

……………………………

"Because she was badly frightened, the girl remained outwardly calm."

"Although / Though she was badly frightened, the girl remained outwardly calm."



'being' is used to give the reason for something:

"Being a quiet sort of person, I didn't want to get involved."

"You can't expect them to sit still for that long, children being what they are."



"Being badly frightened, the girl remained outwardly calm." ?????????

'being badly frightened' is NOT the REASON why she remained calm:

"Despite being badly frightened, the girl remained outwardly calm."

compare

"Being badly frightened, the girl's hands began to shake."



We can't use 'being' in your given sentence.

Answer 2

In that sentence, you need "frightened" only. Which form you use depends entirely on the context, or on the grammatical function in the sentence, or on the meaning you are trying to convey. Both the meaning and the grammar of that sentence require "frightened".



Another sentence could read, "Being frightened, the girl refused to leave her house." The meaning and the grammar require "being frightened".



The second sentence should read "For the last few years, I have been working on the underground."



You could say "I have gone to work," but that's slightly awkward. No, you cannot use "within". "During would be acceptable, but it doesn't work as well as "For the last few years...."



Sometimes you just have to judge by "feel".

Answer 3

A1. The normal way to say it would be "Though badly frightened".

You can't say "though badly being frightened" but you could--just barely acceptably--say "though being badly frightened". This would only work if there was a specific agent (like a person or a sentient ghost) actively frightening her. "Being frightened" on its own normally acts as a reason for a behaviour (as in Lili's example), so it sounds odd with "though".



A2. "I have gone to work" if you still do, "I went to work" if you don't anymore. I assume you mean that's how you got there, but as Lili & Bazza suggest, it sounds like your job was building it, digging the tunnel or whatever. If they are right, use their versions. If not, something like "I have travelled to work on the underground."



A3. You can say "within the last few years" with a small number of times you have gone to work that way, to emphasize how rarely you do. "During" only works if Lili & Bazza are right and you mean that's your job, probably an intermittent one.

Answer 4

In that sentence: "...badly frightened, the girl.....". It would be quite wrong in that sentence to use "being frightened".