Great job Marcab putting this together. Pretty interesting thoughts on when "being" is incorrect. Thought I'd add my two cents here and provide a framework for when "being" is indeed correct. I am planning to write a much detailed article on it as well, but for now here is a treatment of this subject from my side.
Typically usage of "being" makes the answer choice wordy and awkward. But there are two perfectly correct usages of this word. Being cognizant of these usages is important. And make sure you do not blindly eliminate an answer choice just because you see the word "being" in it.
Correct Usage 1 - When Being is used as a noun. For example:
Being disrespectful to her elders is not an acceptable behavior.
Notice the subject here - being disrespectful to her elders
Correct Usage 2 - When passive continuous verb tense is required to communicate the meaning. For example:
The residents of this 100-year old apartment complex are being evacuated because of structural instability of the building.
Notice the verb tense here - are being evacuated - present continuous written in passive voice.
So in the cases above, "being" is correct. Now there are only a handful of official questions in which "being" is correct. And in these sentences "being" is used in one of the two correct usages as detailed above. Here they are:
OG13 Q100Being heavily committed to a course of action, especially one that has worked well in the past, is likely to make an executive miss signs of incipient trouble or misinterpret them when they do appear.
GMAT PrepSimply being genetically engineered does not make a plant any more likely to become an invasive according to a decade-long study published in the journal Nature.
GMAT PrepThe survival of coral colonies, which are composed of innumerable tiny polyps living in a symbiotic relationship with brilliantly colored algae, is being threatened, experts say, not only by pollutants such as agricultural runoff, oil sticks, and trash, but also by dropped anchors, probing drivers, and global warming.
GMAT PrepPerforming a risky maneuver that required precision flying, space shuttle astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite and simultaneously avoided being rear-ended by a passing ultraviolet telescope.
GMAT PrepAccording to one expert, the cause of genetic irregularities in many breeds of dog is not so much that dogs are being bred for looks or to meet other narrow criteria as that the breeds have relatively few founding members.
A small exercise for you. In the 5 sentences above, indicate the role in which "being" has been used.
Now there are quite a few questions in which being is used incorrectly. Here are some official references from OG13: Q3, 4, 31, 49, 52, 63, 67, etc. Feel free to give your analysis of these incorrect usages as well.
Hope this helps. I look forward to your classification of role of being.
Regards,
Payal
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