In this English grammar improvement question, choose the alternative that best improves the bracketed part of the sentence: "It (has been pointed) out that the Facebook postings that people make are not a real reflection of who they are."

Introduction / Context:
This question examines your understanding of English verb forms in passive constructions. The sentence discusses what has been observed or highlighted about Facebook posts and how they may not truly represent people. You must decide whether the bracketed part "has been pointed" is correct or if one of the alternatives expresses the intended meaning more accurately.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The sentence is: "It has been pointed out that the Facebook postings that people make are not a real reflection of who they are."
• The phrase "has been pointed out" is a passive construction with the dummy subject "It".
• The tense required is present perfect passive, indicating that this pointing out has already happened and is relevant now.

Concept / Approach:
In English, the structure "It has been pointed out that..." is a standard way to introduce information that others have already highlighted. It uses the present perfect passive tense: has been + past participle. The verb "point" takes the past participle "pointed". Therefore, "has been pointed out" is grammatically correct. Any change that breaks this structure or uses an incorrect form of "be" or the past participle will be wrong.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the sentence requires a passive structure with "it" as a formal subject. Step 2: Present perfect passive is formed as "has been" plus the past participle of the verb. Step 3: For the verb "point", the past participle is "pointed", so the correct form is "has been pointed out". Step 4: Option A "has being pointed" uses "being", which is incorrect in present perfect passive and sounds ungrammatical. Step 5: Option B "has been point" uses the base form "point" instead of the past participle and is incorrect. Step 6: Option C "has been pointing" would be present perfect continuous, which does not fit with "out that" and is not used in this reporting expression. Step 7: Option E "had been pointed" changes the tense to past perfect and does not match the general statement being made.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by considering similar sentences such as "It has been reported that..." or "It has been observed that...". All use the same pattern: has been + past participle. In formal writing, "It has been pointed out that..." is widely used to introduce a comment or criticism. This confirms that the original bracketed phrase is already correct and should not be changed.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A uses "being", which is used in continuous passive forms like "is being pointed out", not in present perfect passive. Option B omits the past participle and is clearly wrong. Option C suggests an action continuing over time and sounds unnatural in this fixed expression. Option E shifts the tense to past perfect, suggesting an earlier past reference, which is not needed when stating a generally valid observation.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often get confused between "being" and "been" in passive structures. Remember that "been" is used in perfect tenses, while "being" appears in continuous forms. Another common mistake is altering correct fixed expressions because they sound unfamiliar. When you see phrases like "It has been said", "It has been noted", or "It has been pointed out", recognise them as standard patterns and avoid unnecessary changes.

Final Answer:
The best choice is no improvement, so the correct form is "It has been pointed out that the Facebook postings that people make are not a real reflection of who they are."