small dialog

[ostap77]

1)" My parents have come."

2)"Where were they before they came on a visit?"

3)"They had been to the countryside."


Could I have used the past simple instead of the present pefect in the first sentence? Should I have used the past perfect in the second one? Is it OK with the third one?

 

[5jj]

1)" My parents have come."

2)"Where were they before they came on a visit?"

3)"They had been to the countryside."


Could I have used the past simple instead of the present pefect in the first sentence? Should I have used the past perfect in the second one? Is it OK with the third one?

If that is the complete dialogue, then the most natural for me, a speaker of BrE, would be:

1. My parents have come for a visit.
2. Where were they before they came? (or: Where did they come/arrive from?) Where had they been before they came? is possible
3.They were/had been in/to the country.

 

[riquecohen]

If that is the complete dialogue, then the most natural for me, a speaker of BrE, would be:

1. My parents have come for a visit.
2. Where were they before they came? (or: Where did they come/arrive from?) Where had they been before they came? is possible
3.They were/had been in/to the country.

I would say the same thing. (AmE)
I think that in #2, Where did they come from? would be more natural for me.

 

[ostap77]

I would say the same thing. (AmE)
I think that in #2, Where did they come from? would be more natural for me.

We alway say "come for a visit". We say "We are here on a visit." Is it possible to say "come on a visit"?

Could I use the past simple in the first sentence "My parents came for a visit."?

 

[riquecohen]

We alway say "come for a visit". We say "We are here on a visit." Is it possible to say "come on a visit"? Yes.

Could I use the past simple in the first sentence "My parents came for a visit."?

It would depend on the time frame. If your parents have recently arrived, you would say ",,,,,have come...."
"My parents came...." suggests to me that they came and have already gone home.