What type of verb is been?

"Been" is the past participle of the verb "to be". It's not a verb on its own, but rather a part of a verb phrase.

Here's how it works:

* Past participle: This form of a verb is used to create perfect tenses (present perfect, past perfect, future perfect).

* Verb phrase: This is a combination of a helping verb (like "have", "has", "had", "will", "would") and a main verb (like "been").

Examples:

* I have been to the store. (Present perfect)

* She had been sleeping. (Past perfect)

* They will have been working for five years. (Future perfect)

So, while "been" isn't a verb on its own, it's an essential part of verb phrases used to create perfect tenses.