Why Use "been"?

Dr. Tan,

　　Here are some extracts from some study materials:

　　1. Corinne (Looking at her notebook): Now, we were going to take a decision on Mdm Pirozhnaya, the clairvoyant. Is she taking part in the programme or not?”

　　Q: Why “we were going....” instead of “We are going...” ?

　　2. Line Controller: It is possible that a driver could get a wrong signal. Then the responsibility is his to stop at that signal...”

　　Q: Can we say:”....Then the responsibility is for him to stop at the signal.”? Which is better?

　　3. Detective: Now we don't know where he #intended going from the hotel. Can you tell us something about that?”(#this person was found dead in a hotel near the airport and the detective was questioning the victim's wife.”)

　　Q: Why “intended going” instead of “intended to go from....”

　　4. Billy : “Why's everyone been so bad-tempered round here recently?”

　　Q: why use “been”? Can't we say :”Why's everyone so bed-tempered....”? does “s” stand for “is”or “was”?

　　5. Detective: Now, Mr Lee. Did you see or speak to that man at all, yesterday evening?

　　Q: Shouldn't “yesterday evening”be “last evening?”

　　6. Waiter: Would you like a desert?

　　　 John: No thanks - but I will have a cup of coffee, if that's possible.

　　Q: Is “No thanks” proper English?

　　(7a) I have not been to that restaurant.

　　(7b) I have not gone to that restaurant.

　　Don't 7a & 7b have the same meaning? Which is more appropriate?

　　Best regards

Dear lda,

　　1. I will use the present continuous tense:”we are going”.

　　2. “... Then, the responsibility is for him to stop at the signal”is more commonly used than the quoted one. As for me, I tend to use “... Then, it is his responsibility to stop at the signal.”

　　3. The verb pattern of the verb‘intended’is the‘to-infinitive’after it (ie. to go). However, it can be followed by a gerund (ie. going), too. I myself prefer the first form.

　　4. “s”may stand for “is”,”was” or “has”. In “Why's everyone been...”, it represents “has”, so this sentence is correct. In your sentence, since you have changed the tense from the present perfect to the simple present, the adverb‘recently’should be removed:’Why's everyone so bad-tempered round here?”

　　5. Both“last evening”and“yesterday evening”are correct. We can also say “yesterday morning; yesterday afternoon”.

　　6. “No, thanks!”is fine.

　　7. Both (7a) & (7b) and (8a) & (8b) are correct in sentence stucture, but there is a slight difference in meaning between (a) and (b). While‘been’refers to the‘past experience’,‘gone’indicates the‘current action’. COMPARE: John has been there. (ie. He is most likely here at the moment.) John has gone there. (ie. He is not here now.)

(Answers to question 9 - 12 will be published next week)

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