What's the difference between "have been" and "would have been"?

Question

Is there any difference between have been and would have been? Please also provide sample sentences if possible.

Answer 1

would is a past form of the modal verb will. would have been means something in the past would have happened if or if not something in the past (before that event) happened. For example;

Without your advice, I would have been robbed of my bag.

would have been implies something that could have been did not happen because of some reason.

However, have been, as in the following sentence;

I have been robbed of my bag. I wish someone advised me not to go there.

The event / action in have been part has occurred, and could have been avoided if warned of.