prepositions

[lisa***]

Good day!

Is there any difference when I say "Yesterday we visited the City Museum, which I'd never been before." and
Yesterday we visited the City Museum, which I'd never been 'to' before.

I understand it would be a lot better to include 'to'. HOwever, I find it difficult to explain why. What is the logic behind this?

The sentence ' I recently went back to town where I was born.' can also be said by leaving out 'where' and thus,
' I recently went back to town I was born in.'
- Do I always have to use a preposition everytime I omit 'where'?

Also, is it possible to use 'about whom' in relative clauses? can you give me an example?

Sorry if I asked a lot of things.
THank you in advance!

[mykwyner]

1. In your first example you are saying that you have never been a museum. Since you are a human being, that sentence may be grammatical, but it does not make any sense. In sentences such as the ones you are referring to, it is always necessary to use a preposition of location to avoid the above mistake.
You haven't been a museum, you've been to a museum.

2. Prepositions should be used to introduce prepositional phrases. Therefore
"...back to [the] town where I was born," is a far better construction than
"...back to [the] town I was born in," even though better [paid] writers than I end sentences with prepositions all the time.

3. My uncle, about whom you know llittle, has just sent me this telegram.

Good luck with your studies.
Mike

[Hullu]

I have a related question. Why do u have to say 'I have never been to London', instead of 'I have never been in London'? Is it grammatically incorrect to use 'in' , or does it change the meaning ?

[Tdol]

Here, 'been to' refers to travelling there, so, like most verbs to do with travel, 'to' is used before the destination.