[General] I have been here twice.

[rodgers white]

My student asked me a question recently. It presumes that you are now in Beijing. So, you can say like "I have been here once" if you went there once before. My student's question is: Can we say like "I have been here twice."?

My answer is no. My explanation is that only if you leave Beijing again, then you can say "I have been there twice."

But my student seems puzzled still. (To say here, you have to be 'here'. So the present instance of being here is the one time that you are 'here'. If, in addition to being 'here' now, you also have been 'here', that makes twice, not once.)

So, please tell me how to clarify this more clearly. :-?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[emsr2d2]

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.

 

[rodgers white]

Thank you for your time and consideration. But I still feel puzzled about the definition of "have/has been to somewhere". According to my understanding, when I say "I have been to someplace twice now.", it means I returned from that place and I am no longer in that place. So, I just can't understand how we can say " I have been here twice now." when you actually still remain in Beijing.:-(

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think 'someplace' is different from 'here' in that one can say 'I am not someplace in Beijing' but cannot say 'I am not here in Beijing'.

 

[rodgers white]

I think 'someplace' is different from 'here' in that one can say 'I am not someplace in Beijing' but cannot say 'I am not here in Beijing'.

So, can we say "I have been here twice now" when you are still in Beijing under the circumstances in post #2? Is it acceptable?

 

[GoesStation]

So, can we say "I have been here twice now" when you are still in Beijing in post #2 ? Is it acceptable?

Yes. You are in Beijing for the second time when you make the statement.

 

[rodgers white]

Yes. You are in Beijing for the second time when you make the statement.

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.

Am I right?

 

[Matthew Wai]

So, I just can't understand how we can say " I have been here twice now." when you actually still remain in Beijing.

'Here' refers to the place where you are, and you always remain in the place where you are, so you can certainly say it. That's how I understand it.

 

[rodgers white]

'Here' refers to the place where you are, and you always remain in the place where you are, so you can certainly say it. That's how I understand it.

I always thought that the sentence "I have been to a place" must mean I returned now. That's the reason why I feel confused about the sentence " I have been here twice now." and tell my students that when you leave Beijing again, you can say "I have been there(to Beijing) twice."

 

[Matthew Wai]

1. I have been to a place.
2. I have been here twice now.

I think they are very different because 'to' is absent from 2, as 'to' refers to a place where you are not. We think in the same native language, but I don't understand why you are confused.

Post #2 already answered your question in post #7.

 

[rodgers white]

1. I have been to a place.
2. I have been here twice now.

I think they are very different because 'to' is absent from 2, as 'to' refers to a place where you are not. We think in the same native language, but I don't understand why you are confused.

Post #2 already answered your question in post #7.

Got you, finally. Actually, I got confused about these two sentences:

I have been to Beijing once before.
I have been in Beijing twice now.

When I say "I have been to Beijing once before.", of course, it means I went to Beijing at an indefinite time in the past and I returned and I am not in Beijing now. However, it is quite another story when I say "I have been in Beijing twice now.", it means I am in Beijing now and this is my second visit.

 

[GoesStation]

I always thought that the sentence "I have been to a place" must mean I returned now.

However, it is quite another story when I say "I have been in Beijing twice now.", it means I am in Beijing now and this is my second visit.

No. You can be anywhere when you say that. If I'm back home after a trip to Beijing, I can tell a friend that I've now been to Beijing twice.

 

[rodgers white]

No. You can be anywhere when you say that. If I'm back home after a trip to Beijing, I can tell a friend that I've now been to Beijing twice.

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

 

[Matthew Wai]

If you are already back home, you are no longer in Beijing, so I think you cannot say 'in Beijing'.

 

[rodgers white]

If you are already back home, you are no longer in Beijing, so I think you cannot say 'in Beijing'.

Yes, this is what I mean. So I say:

When I say "I have been to Beijing once.", of course, it means I went to Beijing at an indefinite time in the past and I returned and I am not in Beijing now. However, it is quite another story when I say "I have been in Beijing twice now.", it means I am in Beijing now and this is my second visit.

What do you think of the above, Matthew Wai?

 

[emsr2d2]

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."

 

[rodgers white]

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."

Thanks very much for your careful explanation. I understand it at last. I have to say sometimes there are so many exceptions in the English language, which really drives me mad. Thanks to all your help, I can explain this to my students tomorrow. Thank you all.

 

[GoesStation]

If I'm back home after a trip to Beijing, I can tell a friend that I've now been to Beijing twice.

Yes, we can say "I've now been to Beijing twice." But can we say "I've now been in Beijing twice" (no period) if you are already back home after a trip to Beijing?

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

You should omit sentence-ending punctuation from a quoted sentence if the sentence it's inserted in continues after the quotation.

 

[rodgers white]

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

But emsr2d2 says:

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

 

[GoesStation]

I think I missed the preposition in in the last sentence you asked about. To works better: I've been to Beijing twice now. But there are many cases where in works even when you're somewhere else: I have asthma attacks whenever I'm in​ Beijing.