English.me

“Having began” or “having begun”: which is correct?

The short answer

The correct form is having begun because begun is the past participle of begin.

Why people get it wrong

People often mistake began as the past participle form of the verb begin, while it is actually the simple past tense form.

What kind of mistake it is

It is a grammatical error involving incorrect verb form usage.

Examples with having begun

  • Having begun the project, she decided to take a short break.
  • They apologized for not having begun earlier.
  • Having begun the race, he kept a steady pace throughout.

Quick check

  the project, she decided to take a short break.

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