"have been" instead "have"

[Goran]

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #120 "Perfect Tenses", question 1

Many people ......... tried but no-one has succeeded so far.

(a) did
(b) have been
(c) were
(d) have

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #120 "Perfect Tenses", answer 1

Many people have tried but no-one has succeeded so far.

Correct answer: (d) have

Your answer was: incorrect
Many people have been tried but no-one has succeeded so far.
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why have been instead have?

Goran

[Alan]

Hi Goran,

If you write have been tried, you are using the passive form. Here you need the active form: Many people have tried...

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story A funny thing happened...

[bittu]

[Alan]

Hi Bittu,

So far means up till now/up to this moment as in: It hasn't snowed in London so far this year. No snow has fallen up till today.

Note the expression: So far so good, which means up to this moment everything is fine.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Don't bank on it