[General] I have been here twice.

[Matthew Wai]

Yes. That's what I said in post #12.

Does the above 'Yes' refer to the following question?

But can we say "I've now been in Beijing twice." if you are already back home after a trip to Beijing?

So, if I were in Beijing right now, I had previously visited once. We can say: I have been here before. / I have been here twice now. / I have been here once before.

I suspect the above second conditional is not correct.

So, if I were in Beijing right now, and I had previously visited, then I could say 'I have been here before', 'I have been here twice now', or 'I have been here once before'.

 

[rodgers white]

Does the above 'Yes' refer to the following question?



I suspect the above second conditional is not correct.

So, if I were in Beijing right now, and I had previously visited, then I could say 'I have been here before', 'I have been here twice now', or 'I have been here once before'.

According to emrs2d2, I also could say 'I have been to Beijing twice now' or I have been in Beijing twice now', but I could not say 'I have been to Beijing twice'.

And bear in mind that if you're in Beijing and you start a sentence with "I've been in Beijing ...", the listener will probably expect you to continue with something like "... for three weeks."

 

[Matthew Wai]

I could not say 'I have been to Beijing twice'.

You can if you've left. See below.

If you've left, you can use only "I've been to Beijing twice".

 

[rodgers white]

You can if you've left. See below.

Yes, this is what I mean. When I say I could not say 'I have been to Beijing twice', I mean I am still in Bejing.

 

[GoesStation]

Yes, this is what I mean. When I say I could not say 'I have been to Beijing twice', I mean I am still in Bejing.

It would be odd to say that while you were in Beijing unless you carried the sentence on with some more information. For example, you might say I've been to Beijing twice before, but this is the first time I've stayed in this hotel.

 

[rodgers white]

It would be odd to say that while you were in Beijing unless you carried the sentence on with some more information. For example, you might say I've been to Beijing twice before, but this is the first time I've stayed in this hotel.

I understand that. I mean:

If I were in Beijing right now, and I had previously visited once, then I could say 'I have been here before', 'I have been here twice now', or 'I have been here once before'. I also could say 'I have been to Beijing twice now' or 'I have been in Beijing twice now', but I could not say 'I have been to Beijing twice'. If I've left Beijing, I can use only "I've been to Beijing twice".

Is the above right? In your situation, you mean that you have been to Beijing three times now or you have been in Beijing three times now. But you can not say that 'you have been to Beijing three times' when you are still in Beijing. Am I right?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

If you're still in Beijing, you can say "I've been to Beijing twice now" or "I've been in Beijing twice now". If you've left, you can use only "I've been to Beijing twice".
Bear in mind that if you're in Beijing and you start a sentence with "I've been in Beijing ...", the listener will probably expect you to continue with something like "... for three weeks."

Are you sure? I'm not in New York now, but I've been in New York lots of times. Why can't anyone have been in Beijing?

Is this just a difference between American and British English?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Does the above 'Yes' refer to the following question?



I suspect the above second conditional is not correct.

So, if I were in Beijing right now, and I had previously visited, then I could say 'I have been here before', 'I have been here twice now', or 'I have been here once before'.

Or:

- This is my second visit.
- This is my second time here.

 

[rodgers white]

Are you sure? I'm not in New York now, but I've been in New York lots of times. Why can't anyone have been in Beijing?

Is this just a difference between American and British English?

As for me, I would say: I've been to New York lots of times if I'm not in New York now.

 

[tedmc]

As for me, I would say: I've been to New York lots of times if I'm not in New York now.

So would I. I don't think it sounds logical to say that I have been to a place when you are still there.
I would say: I have been here twice(once before).

 

[Matthew Wai]

I would say: I have been here twice(once before).

'Now' is missing after 'twice' above. See below.

I'd say either "I've been here twice now" (the "now" provides the relevant information), or "I've been here once before".

 

[rodgers white]

'Now' is missing after 'twice' above. See below.

Haha, yes, we should say 'I have been here twice now' if you are still in New York and you visited it once before.

 

[tedmc]

I thought it is understood that the present tense refers to "all that happened up to now". Do we have to state that again?

 

[Matthew Wai]

The word 'now' makes it clear that it is different from 'before'.

the present tense

It should be the present perfect tense.

 

[rodgers white]

If I were in Beijing right now, I had previously visited once, and someone said "How many times have you been to Beijing?", my natural answer would be "This is my second visit". If I had to use your construction, I'd say either "I've been here twice now" (the "now" provides the relevant information), or "I've been here once before". Both of those make it clear that there has been one previous visit.

I would say that if you are currently here​, you can't make the simple statement "I have been here [number of times]" - you need one of the extra words I indicated above.

Please see above.

 

[rodgers white]

Many thanks for your time and consideration. You have made everything crystal clear.

And I also bear in mind that I can not say I have been here (number of times) if I am currently here in Beijing unless I use 'before' or 'now'.

This is a very popular question that many of my students often ask. So, please allow me to express my sincerest gratitude for all the help you guys have given my students and me.

 

[Matthew Wai]

You can.

You can always say something unclear, but then the listener may have to ask a question, as I might ask you 'Are you still in Beijing now?' if you say the following without context:

I have been in Beijing once.

 

[Matthew Wai]

My question would be appropriate if we are talking on the phone.
'Context is king', as the saying goes.

 

[GoesStation]

It is not really that there are so many exceptions in this type of situation. It is simply that it is not possible to say that 'I have been to ...' can be used of only one precisely defined situation and 'I have been in ...' can be used only of another precisely defined situation.

<SNIP>

You will note that I have said that both 'to' and 'in' are possible in all these situations. I would probably use 'in' only when I was actually in Beijing. Even then, I would probably still use 'to'. However, there are no absolute rules about this.

I second Piscean's thoughtful response. In is more likely in some contexts, to is more likely in others, and there are many contexts where either works equally well.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

As for me, I would say: I've been to New York lots of times if I'm not in New York now.

Yup. And I'd say it if I were in New York now.

- Welcome to New York! Is this your first trip here? (NOT in.)

- No, I've been to New York lots of times. (To and in both work there, though I agree that to is more likely.) In fact, I used to live in the city. (NOT to.)

(Note: Like San Francisco, New York is often just called "the city.")