"I've been lots of times already" or "I've been there lots of times already"?

[Mori]

IELTS speaking test, part 2, sample task card and answer:

Describe a rural town that you plan to visit in the future.
You should say:
• where the town is
• when you would like to go
• who you would go with
and explain what you would like to do there.

So, I'm going to tell you about a town in the Lake District, which is a beautiful region in the northwest of England, pretty close to the border of Scotland. There are dozens of fantastic little villages and towns there, but the one that tops the rest is called Windermere. It sits on a huge lake and is surrounded by hills, trees and rocks. I've been lots of times already, and I can't wait to go back - as soon as I finish the second semester at university, I'm going to head up there again.
Source: Mindset for IELTS Level 3, page 26

Is it a kind of ellipsis?

 

[emsr2d2]

Is what a kind of ellipsis? There's nothing ungrammatical about the part you've marked in blue.

 

[Mori]

Is what a kind of ellipsis? There's nothing ungrammatical about the part you've marked in blue.

Shouldn't it be "I've been there lots of times already"?

 

[5jj]

It's optional.

 

[jutfrank]

I'd call it a kind of ellipsis, yes.

 

[Tarheel]

"I've been lots of times already."

You could say "there" is implied.

 

[Barque]

I'd call it an ellipsis too. "I've been lots of times" sounds a little informal compared to "I've been there lots of times".

I also think using "I've been" without "there" is more common in BE than AmE but I'm not very sure of that.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd call it an ellipsis too. "I've been lots of times" sounds a little informal compared to "I've been there lots of times".

I also think using "I've been" without "there" is more common in BE than AmE but I'm not very sure of that.

It's certainly common in BrE.

Have you been to Crete?
I've been loads of times.

What do you think of that new Armenian restaurant in town?
It's great. We've been several times already.

Would you recommend Starbucks?
Not a chance. I've been once and that was more than enough.