#1  
Old 06-Apr-2004, 14:48
Anonymous
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Default HAVE BEEN

Consider:
1-I haven't been going there for a long time.

I think this sentence could mean:
a-I have been going there, but not for a long time.
and:
b-I used to go there but I stopped a long time ago and I haven't gone there in a long time

But could it be used in the following context:
c-I haven't been going there (regularly) for a long time. I have just dropped by a couple of times recently.

I think in C it is necessary to use "regularly". What would you say?
  #2  
Old 06-Apr-2004, 17:31
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I think it's hard to extract 'c' from the context without further additions, like 'regularly'. Of the other meanings, I would default to'b'.
  #3  
Old 06-Apr-2004, 18:47
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Default Re: HAVE BEEN

Quote:
Originally Posted by NAVI
Consider:
1-I haven't been going there for a long time.

I think this sentence could mean:
a-I have been going there, but not for a long time.
and:
b-I used to go there but I stopped a long time ago and I haven't gone there in a long time

But could it be used in the following context:
c-I haven't been going there (regularly) for a long time. I have just dropped by a couple of times recently.

I think in C it is necessary to use "regularly". What would you say?
I agree about "regularly" in c. It clears up the confusion. To clear up the confusion in a, try "I've only been going there a short time."
  #4  
Old 06-Apr-2004, 18:56
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The sentence would work better as:
  • I haven't been going there regularly for a long time.

:)
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