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I have learned "a grammar rule " in one grammar book : It is/has been (a period of time) since something that can continue for a period of time happened = It is/has been (a period of time) since the time point that something was finsihed

First question: I want to know whether this "rule" is correct or not.

Second question: If the since clause use perfect tense, do these sentences have same meaning?

For example:

  1. It is/has been 3 years since I worked in the company.

    It is/has been 3 years since I have worked in the company.

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  1. It is/has been 3 years since my father smoked.

    It is/has been 3 years since my father have smoked.

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  1. It is/has been 3 years since I studied in the university.

    It is/has been 3 years since I have studied in the university.

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  1. It is/has been 3 years since I was a doctor.

    It is/has been 3 years since I have been a doctor.

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  1. It is/has been 3 years since I lived here.

    It is/has been 3 years since I have lived here.

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6 A: You’ve grown very confident since you worked for Francis.

A: You’ve grown very confident since you worked for Francis.

B: I’ve always been confident.

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    As I mentioned in a comment on your previous (very similar) question, the meaning can be guessed from the context. I would understand (6) to mean 'since you started working for Francis' - otherwise the speaker would have said 'since you left your job with Francis' (or similar). (4) is unnatural and ambiguous - either "I have been a doctor for three years" or "I retired from medical practice three years ago".
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Oct 28 at 9:18
  • 1
    The only grammatical sentences are found in #6. The others are ungrammatical or marginal at best. The present perfect ("I have worked", "I have studied", "I have lived") does not provide the necessary time-point for it to be used with temporal since. Even the simple past doesn't work unless assisted by an adverb ("since I last worked").
    – TimR
    Commented Oct 28 at 10:51

1 Answer 1

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To match the respective charts, I'd say

  1. It's been three years since I last worked in the company; last gives a definite start point of the ending; worked alone doesn't.

I wouldn't use have worked here or in the other examples.

  1. It's been three years since my father last smoked or It's been three years since my father stopped smoking.

  2. It's been three years since I graduated from university or It's been three years since I left university.

  3. It's been three years since I last worked as a doctor or It's been three years since I stopped being a doctor.

  4. It's been three years since I last lived here or It's been three years since I moved out.

6A. For the first chart, I'd say You’ve grown very confident since you last worked for Francis or You’ve grown very confident since you stopped working for Francis. Stopped gives a definite end point.

For the second chart, I'd say You’ve grown very confident since you started working for Francis; started gives a definite start point; worked alone doesn't.

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