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present perfect in past

I have recently encountered the following sentence:

I have usually stayed at the Grand when I have been in Paris.

Somehow I feel the sentence can be used. But I have no explanation as to why.

The usual sentence would be I usually stay ... when I am ...

So can someone explain me this usage of present perfect.

Thank you. 

Comments

Submitted on 12 May, 2008 - 10:46

 

Maybe the person is indicating that until 'now' this has been the case, but is implying a change - hence 'I always stay...' wouldn't be appropriate.

 

 

 

Viv Canal

Submitted on 12 May, 2008 - 17:04

The example is poor English because it uses the Present Perfect twice .

" I have usually stayed at the Grand when in Paris " or " I usually stay at the Grand when I've been in Paris "  sound much better .

Submitted on 14 May, 2008 - 08:30
O Santo wrote:

The example is poor English because it uses the Present Perfect twice .

" I have usually stayed at the Grand when in Paris " or " I usually stay at the Grand when I've been in Paris "  sound much better .

Viv Canal

 

The first does sound more affluent but the second sounds even more destitute. 

Submitted on 29 May, 2008 - 11:50
The first part of the sentence is O.K. since  it implies that something has probably just changed, but the second part sounds wrong. I'd say "I have always stayed in the Grand during my visits to Paris" or just "in Paris" leaving out the previous part of that sentence. It depends on the context of the text. 
Submitted on 1 June, 2008 - 02:40

I'm sorry I don't have a clear answer for you... I'm going to have to do a bit of research on this myself... but what I can say, is:

 It sounds perfectly natural, and is correct English.

When I imagine myself hearing this sentence, I immediately picture a couple of very wealthy upper-class business people sitting in an executive office on the top floor of a 50 story office building dedicated entirely to their company.

 

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