There have been times when I've drunk until I've felt terribly sick

[EngLearner]

I made up the following:

1. I'm 60, and I've been drinking for as long as I can remember. There have been times when I've drunk until I've felt terribly sick—and other times when I've told myself I'd slow down, maybe even stop for a while. Sometimes I did. Other times, the habit crept back in, almost without me noticing.

2. ...There have been times when I've drunk until I felt terribly sick—and other times when I've told myself I'd slow down, maybe even stop for a while. Sometimes I did...

3. ...There have been times when I drank until I felt terribly sick—and other times when I told myself I'd slow down, maybe even stop for a while. Sometimes I did...

Are all three versions correct? I'm wondering about the tenses in bold.

 

[jutfrank]

The first version correctly uses the present perfect across the whole passage, thus casting an aspect that expresses an idea of present relevance. The initial two sentences establish this perfect aspect nice and clearly: I've been drinking/There have been times. In this case, as is often the case with the present perfect, the speaker is reflecting on his personal life experience.

 

[teechar]

I would only use #3.

 

[emsr2d2]

And to confuse you further, I'd use #2.

 

[EngLearner]

4. I'm 60, and I've been drinking for as long as I can remember. There have been times when I'd drink until I'd feel terribly sick—and other times when I'd tell myself I'd slow down, maybe even stop for a while. Sometimes I did. Other times, the habit crept back in, almost without me noticing.

How about this version?

 

[emsr2d2]

In line with what I said in post 4, I'd say "There have been times when I'd drink until I felt sick".