Have you ever been a teacher?

I've been a teacher, but now I'm a computer salesman

How long have you been a computer salesman?

Nouns referring to behaviour will also combine with have been: What a good girl you are' You've been an angel!

All the above examples can be transferred to the past perfect: He told me he had been a waiter before he became a taxi-driver

10.13.4 'Have been/had been' and 'have gone/had gone'

Have been (generally + to or in [> Apps 21-23]) has the sense of 'visit a place and come back'. Have gone (followed by to and never by in) has the sense of 'be at a place or on the way to a place':

So there you are¹ Where have you been? I've been to a party/in the canteen (= and come back)

Where s Pam? - She's gone to a party/to Paris/to the canteen

(= She's on her way there, or she's there now.)

Have been and have gone will combine with adverb particles like out, away, and with home (not preceded by to [>10.9.7]): Where have you been? - I've been out/away/home.

(i.e. I'm here now) Where has Tim gone? - He's gone out/away/home.

(i.e. he's not here now)

We can use from before home in: e.g.

He s come from home (i.e. 'home' is where he started out from.) Compare: He's come home (= He has arrived at his home.) Have been had been combine with other adverbials as well:

He's been a long time (i.e. He hasn't come back yet.)

'Be' as a full verb

Have been and have gone are interchangeable only when they have the sense of 'experience'. This can occur when they are used with ever or never and followed by:

- a gerund: Have you ever been/gone skiing in the Alps?

- for + noun: I've never been/gone for a swim at night

- on + noun. Have you ever been/gone on holiday in winter?

10.13.5 'Have been/had been' with 'since' and 'for' [compare > 9.25.2]

With How long.?, since for, have been can be used in the sense have lived/worked/waited or have been living/working>waiting How long have you been in London? (i.e. lived/been living)

- I've been here since January/for six months How long have you been with IBM? (i.e. worked/been working)

- I've been with them since November/for three months How long have you been in this waiting-room? (waited/been waiting)

- I've been here since 3 o 'clock/for half an hour
The past perfect replaces the present perfect in reported speech:

She told me she had been with IBM for three months

10.14 Form of the future and future perfect of 'be'