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I read some sentences where writers used nouns with has/have/had been.

What exactly does it mean?

Examples:

She has been an able administrator.
Her mother had been an American.
He has been mad at me.

What if I say?

She is an able Administrator.
Her mother was an American.
He is mad at me.

Please explain the difference.

Also when and how to use has/have/had been and is?

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  • has/have/had + Past Participle combinations are used to form the Perfect tenses: Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect. You might google for "present perfect", "past perfect" if you wish to learn more. Jan 22, 2015 at 10:23
  • This is a very complicated topic. You may also wish to consult our long post on What is the perfect, and how should I use it?. Jan 22, 2015 at 12:13
  • Whole websites are devoted to answering this. English Club is a good place to start.
    – user6951
    Jan 22, 2015 at 14:20

1 Answer 1

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You should have a look at the conjugation table of to be in a basic grammar:

Tenses I: I am, I was, I will be, I would be

Tenses II: I have been, I had been, I will have been, I would have been

After will/would follows bare infinitive or infinitive perfect.

After have/has/had follows stem form 3: been (past participle).

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  • I have already gone through all but unable to understand. Please explain
    – user4084
    Jan 22, 2015 at 11:17
  • Rogermue, dont write it as answer.
    – user4084
    Jan 22, 2015 at 11:18
  • ELL is not a place to ask for grammar lessons. You need to consult a site such as English Club.
    – user6951
    Jan 22, 2015 at 14:22
  • Or simply get a grammar.
    – rogermue
    Jan 22, 2015 at 15:21

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