last time you (have) been there

[ostap77]

I'm watching episode 2 season 2 of , I'm not sure if it's a Canadian or American TV sereis, "Human Target". So I've just heard a phrase that is not entiraly grammatically accurate.

"When was the last time you ('ve) been in there?"

"Seven years ago."

So I'm almost sure that "been" was use without "have". Did the guy say this not to make a repetition of "was"? I know that sometimes peaople say I been. But you can't use it like this "When been the last time?".

 

[lauralie2]

you + had been = you'd been

"When was the last time (that) you had been in there?"

 

[5jj]

So I'm almost sure that "been" was use without "have". Did the guy say this not to make a repetition of "was"? I know that sometimes peaople say I been. But you can't use it like this "When been the last time?".

In conversation, even when it's scripted, you'll hear a lot of things that don't follow the grammar-book rules.

I don't think I've ever heard 'When been', but I wouldn't say it's not possible in some spoken form of some dialects.

 

[ostap77]

In conversation, even when it's scripted, you'll hear a lot of things that don't follow the grammar-book rules.

I don't think I've ever heard 'When been', but I wouldn't say it's not possible in some spoken form of some dialects.

I was asking if it's accurate to say "When was the last time you been in there?" I've listened to it 6 times and I'm 96% sure that it was "you been there.

Do we ever use the past perfect with "last time" like "When was the last time you had been there"? Or "The last time I'd been there?

 

[lauralie2]

I was asking if it's accurate to say "When was the last time you been in there?" I've listened to it 6 times and I'm 96% sure that it was "you been there.

No, it's not accurate. What you didn't hear was the final [d] on "you":

• "When was the last time (that) you'd been in there?"

 

[ostap77]

No, it's not accurate. What you didn't hear was the final [d] on "you":

• "When was the last time (that) you'd been in there?"

It may have been that way. Can I use the past perfect this way "The last time I'd been there......." If not, why do we use it in "When was the last time I'd been there"? Isn't it OK to say "When was the last time you were there?"?

People do say such things as "Where you guys been?" , "How you been?" or "What you been doing in there?"??

 

[lauralie2]

It may have been that way. Can use the past perfect this way "T[h]e last time I'd been there......." If not, why do we use it in "When was the last time I'd been there"? Isn't it OK to say "When was the last time you were there?"?

People do say such things as "Where you guys been?" , "How you been?" or "What you been doing in there?"??

• The last time that I had been there was ... :tick:
• When was the last time that you were there? :tick:

• Where've you guys been?
  • -ve (short for have) is hard to hear sometimes because [v] loses most of its vibration in that environment.
• How've you been?
  • same as above
• What've you been doing?
  • same as above

 

[ostap77]

• The last time that I had been there was ... :tick:
• When was the last time that you were there? :tick:

• Where've you guys been?
  • -ve (short for have) is hard to hear sometimes because [v] loses most of its vibration in that environment.
• How've you been?
  • same as above
• What've you been doing?
  • same as above

Don't we hear this things from Southern peple on the American sdie of the border?

 

[5jj]

Don't we hear that from Southern people on the American side of the border?

I suspect that we think we hear 'correct' forms from speakers we approve of, and 'incorrect' forms from people we don't approve of.

Phoneticians these days have very sophisticated equipment to help them make objective judgements about what is actually said. Those of us without such devices can only give an opinion. That opinion is often subjective.

 

[ostap77]

I suspect that we think we hear 'correct' forms from speakers we approve of, and 'incorrect' forms from people we don't approve of.

Phoneticians these days have very sophisticated equipment to help them make objective judgements about what is actually said. Those of us without such devices can only give an opinion. That opinion is often subjective.

Ten points for this one!!!!

 

[5jj]

Ten points for this one!!!!

If you are handing out points, it was lauralie who first suggested the idea on this thread.

 

[ostap77]

Ten points for your clarification.

Anybody else feels like throwing in a comment?

 

[lauralie2]

Don't we hear this things from Southern peple on the American sdie of the border?

Yes, we do (even I have on occasion used those phrases). ;-) If dialect is the case with our example sentence (When was the last time you been there?), the reason for omitting [d] has to do with ease of articulation: it's more efficient to drop contracted [d] (and [v]), but language purists would recommend against it.