Difference between have been and had been

[Qwikyss]

Hi,

Some one please help me to know the difference between the below statements.

I have been to singapore.

I had been to singapore.

[Skrej]

'I have been to Singapore'- present perfect: used here to signify an experience you had at an unspecified time in the past.

'I had been to Singapore' - past perfect: used to specify a completed action before something in the past.

However, as written, your sentence "I had been to Singapore" is incomplete, without the corresponding time/event.

"I had been to Singapore twice before last summer's vacation."
"I had not been to Singapore before last summer's vacation."
"I had been to Singapore only once before."
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[Qwikyss]

I told my friend while talking

I have been to singapore at the time of crisis. is it right?

Is "I have been" always used for incomplete action?

[Ziqlu]

may be to what I have been able to findout in my experiences of English.
I have been means which one has been able to act in recent present
I had been which is completed or has been acted in the past sometime

[Happytofita]

[Abdul Rahim]

Some one to explain me the future in the past.

Thanks,

[Kitosdad]

They told me last week, that they were going to go to England next month.(?)
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[Alan]

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Hi Abdul,

I assume you are talking about the future perfect. This is where you imagine something having been completed in the future.

Let me give you an example:

This time next week I shall/will have been to London. This means at some time before next Sunday I am going to travel to London. When next Sunday arrives (July 5th) the visit will have been completed.

Hope that's what you wanted,

Alan
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