The air here has been fresh.

[diamondcutter]

The air here has been fresh.

If somebody says this sentence, does it mean this?
The air here once was fresh but it isn’t any more now.

 

[5jj]

That sentence is unlikely without some time reference, such as recently, these past dew days.

 

[Rover_KE]

Where did you find that sentence, diamondcutter?

(I shouldn’t be having to ask you for a source.)

 

[diamondcutter]

The sentence in the OP is from a student’s composition. Here it is.

These years, great changes have taken place in my hometown. Almost everything has changed. A few years ago, people went out mainly by bike or by bus. And the roads were narrow. There were some chemical factories pouring dirty water into the stream and the air was also polluted. But now almost every family has its own car. And the roads have become wide. The stream has become clean and the air has been fresh. People have lived happily. I'm glad to see these changes. I believe we'll have a better life in the future.

I changed two sentences for her.
First, I changed “the air has been fresh” to “the air has turned fresh” or just “the air is fresh”.
Second, I changed “People have lived happily” to “People live happily”.

In order to explain to her why “the air has been fresh” is not right there correctly and clearly, I asked the question in the OP. Would you please enlighten me about the reason why the sentence is not suitable there and how to correct it?

 

[Tarheel]

These years, great changes have taken place in my hometown. Almost everything has changed. A few years ago, people went out mainly by bike or by bus. And the roads were narrow. There were some chemical factories pouring dirty water into the stream and the air was also polluted. But now almost every family has its own car. And the roads have become wide. The stream has become clean and the air has been fresh. People have lived happily. I'm glad to see these changes. I believe we'll have a better life in the future.

I would start it thusly: "Great changes have taken place in my hometown."

The wording indicates that it has to do with past events that influence the present.

I would change "went out" to traveled ".

I would say: " And the roads are wider".

Also: "The stream is cleaner, and the air is more breathable."

Also: "People are happy about the changes."

 

[jutfrank]

Would you please enlighten me about the reason why the sentence is not suitable there and how to correct it?

The verb 'be' doesn't make sense here. She means to say 'become', to express the sense of change. You could also use 'turned', as you suggest, to get the same meaning.

 

[diamondcutter]

Anyone who is a server or who has been one knows that they do no make an income that is sustainable unless the customers leave a tip.
Source: https://www.lovethispic.com/blog/45547/four-teens-are-served-by-waiter-and-leave-$3.28-tip.-a-few-days-later,-this-note-pops-up
I found in the sentence above, there’s no time reference in “who has been one (a server)”.
And I asked a question about it in this post on this forum.

The waiter made sure of it.

In Los Angeles, a waiter served a group of teens as they were headed to their homecoming dance. The waiter remembered his experience as a young high school student looking forward to his homecoming dance. So he made sure the teens had a pleasant experience at the restaurant. The waiter made sure...

www.usingenglish.com

Sorry, I'm mistaken. I didn't asked a question abou "who has been one" in my old post above.

 

[Tarheel]

The "one" in that phrase refers to "server".

 

[diamondcutter]

In the sentence in #7, I think “who has been one” means “who was once a server but not now”. According to this understanding, I thought the sentence in the OP means “The air here once was fresh but it isn’t any more now.” Is my understanding reasonable?

 

[5jj]

I'm afraid not.

If you say that you have been a waiter, you imply 'at some time in the past, extending up to the present moment'.

That's not the meaning you wish to convey with 'the air has been fresh'.

 

[diamondcutter]

If "you have been a waiter" implies "at some time in the past, extending up to the present moment", how to understand "anyone who is a server or who has been one"?

 

[Tarheel]

If "you have been a waiter" implies "at some time in the past, extending up to the present moment", how to understand "anyone who is a server or who has been one"?

You should understand that as " anybody who has ever been a server (including now).

 

[diamondcutter]

I think the writer uses “who is” and “who has been” as a comparing pair. Otherwise, he/she would simply say “who has ever been”.

Is “anyone who is xxx or who has been xxx” a set pattern?

 

[jutfrank]

Anyone ... who has been one ...

= Anyone who has ever worked as a server at any point in their life prior to the present moment

I think the writer uses “who is” and “who has been” as a comparing pair. Otherwise, he/she would simply say “who has ever been”.

That's right, though the word ever is not completely necessary for the meaning. The point is that the writer wants to cover not just people who currently work as servers, but anyone who used to do it too.

 

[diamondcutter]

Anyone who is a server or who has been one knows that they do no make an income that is sustainable unless the customers leave a tip.

Do the two versions below make sense and have the similar meaning with the sentence above?

1. Anyone who is a server or who was once one knows that they do no make an income that is sustainable unless the customers leave a tip.

2. Anyone who is a server or who used to be one knows that they do no make an income that is sustainable unless the customers leave a tip.

 

[Tarheel]

1. Invert the words in the phrase in bold.
2. OK.

 

[SoothingDave]

Do not make

 

[emsr2d2]

I have no problem with "or who was once one" in sentence #1 in post #15.

 

[emsr2d2]

Do the two versions below make sense and have the a similar meaning with to the sentence above?