Video A

Introduction to answering Yes to questions with Have been + noun

Hello and welcome

to your MES eLesson.
I'm Natalie.
Today you’re going
to learn
the what, the how and the when of answering
Have been + noun questions.
Let’s start with “WHAT.” <What are
Have been + noun statements and answers used for?>
They are used to
talk about something
that happened
before now, at
an non-specific time
in the past, for example,

“I’ve been a team leader before”.

If there is a specific mention of time,
the “simple past” tense is used, for example:

“I was a straight A student this semester.”

Good. Now, let’s learn “HOW.” <How do you use Have been + noun statements and
answers?>
<1. Know your conjugation>
First, know how
to conjugate
“have” + “been”,
using contractions.
If you want to talk about yourself, please repeat:
I’ve been
-
-
If you want to talk about me,
You’ve been
-
-
If you want to talk about Mark,
Mark’s been
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If you want to talk about Lisa,
Lisa’s been
-
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If you want to talk about us,
We’ve been
-
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If you want to talk about them,
They’ve been
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It’s very important
to memorize this
conjugation fluently
before you start
practicing Video B.

<2. Know your nouns>

Next, know your nouns,
and really study your vocabulary.
For example,
I’ve been: a role-model.
a proctor.
a coordinator.

<3. Know how to build a statement or answer>

Finally, to build a more specific answer,
you can use an adjective,
for example;
“I’ve been a shift supervisor.”, a time reference, for example,
“I’ve been a supervisor on weekdays.”
or a prepositional phrase, for example;
“I’ve been a supervisor during the holiday season”.
So, finally, <when do you use Have been + noun statements and answers?>
You use them to talk
about people’s experiences and
share interesting information about the past.
Excellent!

Quick Review

Now, let’s review!

First, <What are Have been + noun statements and answers used for?>
They are used for
talking about past experiences.
Second, <How do you use Have been + noun statements and answers?>
You use them by
knowing the conjugation
of Have been,
and building a
more specific
statement or answer with the
vocabulary,
adjectives,
time references
and prepositional phrases.
Third, <When do
you use Have been + noun statements or answers?> You use
them to talk about the past and also
to show interest
in people’s experiences.

Well done! Let’s move

on to Video B to really practice making a
variety of
your own statements and answers! Remember to
keep on reviewing your vocabulary.
I'm Natalie and
I look forward to
seeing you soon.
Video B

Practicing answering questions with Have been + noun.

Hi and welcome back

to your MES eLesson.
I’m Natalie.
Now that
you understand
the concept of answering questions with
Have been + noun,
let’s really practice.
Before we begin,
let's review the
conjugation that you
learned in Video A.
Please repeat after
me and remember to
focus on your
pronunciation and conversation speed.
I’ve been
-
-
Good, let’s do it faster.
I’ve been
-
-
Excellent.
You’ve been
-
-
Good, let’s speed it up again.
You’ve been
-
-
Good, that’s the speed
you should use in order
to speak fluently.
Let’s continue.
He’s been
-
-
She’s been
-
-
We’ve been
-
-
They’ve been
-
-
Great! You need to memorize
this conjugation for fluency.
Let’s move on.
Let’s build
a full answer with
the noun "a spokesperson".
Please repeat after me.
I’ve been a spokesperson.
-
-
You’ve been a spokesperson.
-
-
Now, let’s work on your speed and do that one again.
You’ve been a spokesperson.
-
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He’s been a spokesperson.
-
-
Excellent, now let’s add
the preposition “before”. Please repeat.
She’s been a spokesperson before.
-
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We’ve been spokespeople before.
-
-
They’ve been spokespeople before.
-
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Great! Let’s start practicing.
This time, let’s
practice changing the
subject and
using the same noun
“a spokesperson” plus " before".
Please read and
listen first, and then
answer the question.

Have you been a spokesperson before?

Please answer.
-
-
-
Good job! <motion> Remember you have to
work on your speed.
Please repeat:
I’ve been a spokesperson before.
-
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-
Has Harriet?
-
-
-
She’s been a spokesperson before.
Please repeat.
-
-
-
Good job. Now let’s practice changing the noun
to "a regular customer.”

<motion> Have you been a regular customer before?

Please answer.
-
-
-
Excellent! I’ve been a regular customer before. Please repeat.
-
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-
Good! Has Betty?
Please answer.
-
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She’s been a regular customer before. Please repeat.
-
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Great! Have you been an event coordinator?
-
-
-
Good! Remember to
work on your intonation. Please repeat.
I’ve been an event coordinator.
-
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-
What about your brother?
-
-
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Good! He’s been an event coordinator. Please repeat again.
-
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-
Great! Now let’s
make a more specific question by changing the time reference to
to “this past year”.

Have you been an event coordinator this past year?

Please answer.
-
-
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Very nice! I’ve been an event coordinator this past year. Please repeat.
-
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Great! Has my nephew, Gregory, been a test proctor this past year?
-
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He’s been a test proctor this past year. Please repeat.
-
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Great job! Let’s practice with the noun “a skeptic” plus the time reference “these days.”
Has Jason been a skeptic these days?
-
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He’s been a skeptic these days. Please repeat.
-
-
-
Good. Now let’s practice some modern English.
“a skeptic” can also
be called
“a doubting Thomas.”
Remember, speed
and intonation
are important when
you use slang!
Ready?
Has Jason been a doubting Thomas these days?
Please answer.
-
-
-
He’s been a doubting Thomas these days. Please repeat.
-
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Follow my intonation, repeat after me:
He’s been a doubting Thomas these days.
-
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Excellent. Now let's try
using a prepositional
phrase instead of a time reference.
Have you been a doubting Thomas in your relationship? Please answer.
-
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I’ve been a doubting Thomas in my relationship. Please repeat.
-
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Let's try another noun and prepositional phrase.
Have you been an art lover in name only?
Please answer.
-
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I’ve been an art lover in name only. Please repeat.
-
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Great! Let’s learn the slang
for “an art lover”:
“a culture vulture” and change
the prepositional phrase.
Ready?
Have Neil and Betty been culture vultures since art school?
Please answer.
-
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They’ve been culture vultures for ages. Please repeat.
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Great! Let’s use the noun
“old-fashioned fool.”
Has Fran been an old-fashioned fool for ages?
Please answer.
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Good work! She’s been an old-fashioned fool for ages. Please repeat.
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Great! So, for the last one,
let’s learn the slang
for “old-fashioned fool:” “fuddy-duddy.” Ready?

Has Nina been a fuddy-duddy for ages?

Please answer.
-
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Well Done! She’s been a fuddy-duddy for ages. Please repeat.
-
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Great! Please practice
with this video until
you are able to answer
questions fluently! Remember you can
always practice more
by changing the
nouns,
time references and prepositional phrases
to make your own
statements and answers.