[Grammar] Is/Was this the first time you went to London?

[LiuJing]

Context: My friend recently went to London to see the Olympics. Now he is back home in China.

If I see him, would I say : Was that the first time you visited London? or Is this the first time you visited London?

Thank you.

 

[Barb_D]

The trip is now in the past. What tense do you think you should use.

 

[LiuJing]

The trip is now in the past. What tense do you think you should use.

I would say: was this the first time you visited London?

But one of friends suggested that I say: is this the first time you have visited London? regardless of the fact the trip is complete.

 

[5jj]

Either find a new friend or stop worrying about the accuracy of your English.

 

[emsr2d2]

Was that the first time you had been to England?
Had you been to England before?

 

[LiuJing]

Was that the first time you had been to England?

1--Was that the first time you visited England？
2--Was that the first time you had visited England？

Do they mean he same?

 

[BobK]

Context: My friend recently went to London to see the Olympics. Now he is back home in China.

If I see him, would I say : Was that the first time you visited London? or Is this the first time you visited London?

Thank you.

I would say: was this the first time you visited London?

But one of friends suggested that I say: is this the first time you have visited London? regardless of the fact the trip is complete.

Why the change? 'Was that' is fine in this context. 'Was this' is OK in some contexts too, but if you use it and have a foreign accent people will assume you're making a mistake!

b

 

[Jiayun]

I do not understand why "had been" is used here instead of "have been". Does anyone know? Thanks!

Was that the first time you had been to England?
Had you been to England before?

 

[5jj]

I do not understand why "had been" is used here instead of "have been". Does anyone know? Thanks!

At the time of 'you' being in London, 'you' could think, "This is the first time I have been in in London". At a later time, 'you' are asked, "Was that the first time you had been in London?"

 

[Jiayun]

So could I say "Have you been to London before" instead of "Had you been to London before" as suggested in the previous post?

At the time of 'you' being in London, 'you' could think, "This is the first time I have been in in London". At a later time, 'you' are asked, "Was that the first time you had been in London?"

 

[emsr2d2]

If the conversation is taking place in London, then someone could ask you "Have you been to London before?"
If the conversation is taking place after you return from London and you tell them that you have just come back from a holiday to London, but someone wants to know if it was your first visit, they would ask "Had you been to London before?", meaning "Had you been to London before the trip you just took?"

 

[BobK]

:up: If they're in London as part of the same trip, use 'have'.

After they've returned, use 'have' - unless you're asking about a journey that took place before the latest one; then you should use 'had' .

Examples:

• At a party in London: Is this the first time you have you been in/to London?
• After they're back: Is this the first time you have you been to London?
• Referring to previous travel, knowing they're just back from London Was that the first time you had been in/to London?" [to which the answer is something like:] No - I had been once before, when I was a child.

b