What is the difference between She told me he had been back, so I am going to see him. and She has told me he is back, so I am going to see him. and She has told me he has been back, so I am going to see him. ?

Question

charles_600301 · Answer

Only the first sentence is grammatically and logically correct.

She told me he had been back, so I am going to see him.

The past tense “told” is preceded by the past complete tense “had been back” and followed by the present progressive tense “am going to see’.

charles_600301 · Answer

@f57rhs

Let’s consider the following three events, arranged in the order of time:

He’d been back. (1)
She told me that. (2)
I’m going to see him. (3)

Event 1, which came first, should be in the past complete tense “had been”.
Event 2, which came second, should be in the past tense “told”.
Event 3, which came last, should be in the present progressive tense “am going to”.

Simple sentences (1), (2), and (3) above can be linked up into the complex sentence (4) below:

She told me that he’d been back, so I’m going to see him. (4)

What do you think?

charles_600301 · Answer

@f57rhs

I beg to differ.
He's definitely over there simply because "he'd been back" means exactly the same as "he'd arrived back" and as you said, the action of "had arrived back" had come to an end in the past , i.e. before she told me that.

charles_600301 · Answer

@18Vanessa 
 
I'm so sorry for not noticing your question here in time, but I'd put in my two cents' worth elsewhere.

charles_600301 · Answer

@f57rhs

Maybe we can get a clearer look at whether he's home now by adding more details to the following four events in the order of time.

He'd been back from a trip to the US for an hour. (1)
She gave me a call, told me that, and asked me to pay him a visit. (2)
He's staying home while waiting for me to go over to his place. (3)
I'm going over to see him this evening. (4)

It's crystal clear that he's home now.

In a nutshell, only the first out of the original three sentences, renumbered as (5) below, is grammatically correct and semantically logical.

She told me that he’d been back, so I’m going to see him. (5)

charles_600301 · Answer

@f57rhs

No offense, but I think you're wrong.
Please allow me to set the record straight.

He'd been back from a trip to the US for an hour.
"For an hour" here is a prepositional phrase functioning as an adverb to describe the verb phrase "had been back".
In other words, she told me that, an hour after he'd been back from a trip to the US.

He'd been back from a one-hour trip to the US.
"One-hour" here is a compound adjective that describes the noun "trip".
In other words, the trip to the US was merely one hour long.
Maybe he lives very close to the US, such as in Canada or in Mexico, for example.

Selmakayaalp · Answer

the second on is correct

f57rhs · Answer

Hi Vanessa...
I've found your question..which I will try to answer in a little while .. 
I am just writing this note here so I can find it again ... ;)

f57rhs · Answer

*She told me he had been back, so I am going to see him* =
He had been back/he was back/ he came back ... but he may have gone away again .. he may, or may not, be there now .. 
... she says she is going to see him (but it doesn't necessarily mean that he will be there now) 
according to the structure of the first part of this sentence ... there is no way she can be sure he will be there .. she's going there and hoping she will see him.
She told me he had been back, so I am going over to see if he is still there✔
................

*She has told me he is back, so I am going to see him.*✔ 
or  ...
she's told me he's back, so I'm going to see him✔
He is back now .. so I will go and see him 
She has been told that he is now back .. meaning he has come back and he is there now
...................

*She has told me he has been back ....*
this definitely means he was there / he came back but it does not imply that he is there now.
He has been back .. but possibly went away again, is the implication.

hope this helps somewhat .. Françesca x

f57rhs · Answer

@18Vanessa

she’s told me he has been back, so I am going to see him.

If he is back (and hasn't gone away again)
I would say:
she's told me he's back, so I'm going to see him 
she told me he has come back so I'm going to see him
she's told me he was back, so I'm going to see him
but
she’s told me he has been back, so I am going to see him.
(doesn't, to my mind (!) .. mean he is there right now .. he may have gone away again)

BEEN past participle of BE
 
used to mean "arrived":
The postman hasn't been yet.
The doctor's just been (= has arrived and left)
.................

used to mean "visited" or "travelled",:
I've never been to Kenya, but I hope to visit it next year.
"Have you ever been there before?" - "Yes, I've been twice."
.....................

used as the past participle of "go" when the action referred to is finished:
She's been to the hairdresser's (= and now she has returned).
Do you need to go to the bank, or have you already been?
..................

He hasn’t been back long
He has been back there a couple of times.
He has been back twice since and hopes to go again later this year.
He has been back once, so far.
He has been back at the BBC since February
He has been back in town for three days
I haven't been back there since

f57rhs · Answer

To capture the nuances🤦‍♀️ of the English language

I have been back in my hometown since you left. = I came back and I'm still there.
I have been back to my hometown once since you left. = I came back once but not there now.
He has been back once since you left.
He has been back nearly every day = he comes back to visit nearly every day (then goes away again)
He has been back to see his mother = doesn't mean he is there now

:)

f57rhs · Answer

@18Vanessa

No, no, 🤦‍♀️ this emoji is trying to say that nuances can be/ are a bit of a headache!
It's no problem, I don't want to confuse you, and am happy if I can be of help.

Yes, my name is Françesca   :)

f57rhs · Answer

@charles_600301

“Had been” is used to mean that something happened in the past and has already ended.
 = something that began in the past, lasted for some time, then ended. It is entirely in the past.

“Have been” and “has been” are used to mean that something began in the past and has lasted into the present time.
He has been back ... (but, he might not be there now/ it's not definite that he is still there).

f57rhs · Answer

@18Vanessa ..  lol 😀

Thank you for your kind message...
I know of the name Janelle, but I don't think I've ever known anyone called Janelle. I like the French name, Élodie.
Vanessa is a lovely name! 
Best wishes to you, and any time I can help again.. just let me know.
 :))

f57rhs · Answer

@charles_600301

He had = past tense
Been = past participle
Back = came back /arrived back to a particular place

He had been back = he came back some time ago/ in the past … he is not there now as it is spoken of using the past tense.

He is back = present tense
He’s back = (he’s returned) means he is there now

f57rhs · Answer

@charles_600301

He'd been back from a trip to the US for an hour ...
this sounds like he made a trip to the US for one hour.
(e.g. He'd been back from a trip into town for an hour)
He'd been back one hour, after a trip to the US.
He'd been back an hour, after a trip to the US.

to reiterate....
"Had been” is used to mean that something happened in the past and has already ended.

“Have been” and “has been” are used to mean that something began in the past and has lasted into the present time.

What is the difference between She told me he had been back, so I am going to see him. and She has told me he is back, so I am going to see him. and She has told me he has been back, so I am going to see him. ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.

the second on is correct

Only the first sentence is grammatically and logically correct.

She told me he had been back, so I am going to see him.

The past tense “told” is preceded by the past complete tense “had been back” and followed by the present progressive tense “am going to see’.

Hi Vanessa...
I've found your question..which I will try to answer in a little while ..
I am just writing this note here so I can find it again ... ;)

@18Vanessa .. lol 😀

Thank you for your kind message...
I know of the name Janelle, but I don't think I've ever known anyone called Janelle. I like the French name, Élodie.
Vanessa is a lovely name!
Best wishes to you, and any time I can help again.. just let me know.
:))

@f57rhs

I beg to differ.
He's definitely over there simply because "he'd been back" means exactly the same as "he'd arrived back" and as you said, the action of "had arrived back" had come to an end in the past , i.e. before she told me that.

@18Vanessa

I'm so sorry for not noticing your question here in time, but I'd put in my two cents' worth elsewhere.

Ask native speakers questions for free

What is the difference between She told me he had been back, so I am going to see him. and She has told me he is back, so I am going to see him. and She has told me he has been back, so I am going to see him. ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.

the second on is correct

Only the first sentence is grammatically and logically correct.She told me he had been back, so I am going to see him.The past tense “told” is preceded by the past complete tense “had been back” and followed by the present progressive tense “am going to see’.

Hi Vanessa...I've found your question..which I will try to answer in a little while .. I am just writing this note here so I can find it again ... ;)

@18Vanessa .. lol 😀Thank you for your kind message...I know of the name Janelle, but I don't think I've ever known anyone called Janelle. I like the French name, Élodie.Vanessa is a lovely name! Best wishes to you, and any time I can help again.. just let me know. :))

@f57rhs I beg to differ.He's definitely over there simply because "he'd been back" means exactly the same as "he'd arrived back" and as you said, the action of "had arrived back" had come to an end in the past , i.e. before she told me that.

@18Vanessa I'm so sorry for not noticing your question here in time, but I'd put in my two cents' worth elsewhere.

Ask native speakers questions for free

Only the first sentence is grammatically and logically correct.

She told me he had been back, so I am going to see him.

The past tense “told” is preceded by the past complete tense “had been back” and followed by the present progressive tense “am going to see’.

Hi Vanessa...
I've found your question..which I will try to answer in a little while ..
I am just writing this note here so I can find it again ... ;)

@18Vanessa .. lol 😀

Thank you for your kind message...
I know of the name Janelle, but I don't think I've ever known anyone called Janelle. I like the French name, Élodie.
Vanessa is a lovely name!
Best wishes to you, and any time I can help again.. just let me know.
:))

@f57rhs

I beg to differ.
He's definitely over there simply because "he'd been back" means exactly the same as "he'd arrived back" and as you said, the action of "had arrived back" had come to an end in the past , i.e. before she told me that.

@18Vanessa

I'm so sorry for not noticing your question here in time, but I'd put in my two cents' worth elsewhere.