Any sense - "I've haven't been skiing"

[Serzige]

Hi...
"I've haven't been skiing", this sentence for me does not have any sense...My point is the structure that the sentence is using, I think is not correct at all---but not pretty sure...If someone has any explanation I'd appreciate it.... thanks in advance.
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Sergio M.
"Life is too short to grieve in sorrow"

[Yankee]

[Jamie (K)]

[Chocolatee]

I agree. You have, in effect, said the word "have" twice. I think you got confused because of the the connected words "I've" and "haven't". When this happens, try separating the words "I've" to "I have" and "haven't" to "have not" so you will see clearly what you are doing wrong.

[Serzige]

[Yankee]

[Alan]

Hi Serzige,

Well, I'll go to the foot of our stairs! This is clearly a misprint. I've haven't seen anything like it.!!!!

Alan

[Serzige]

[Alan]

Hi Sergio,

You asked:

[Conchita]

[Yankee]

Hi Conchita

I hadn't noticed that! That's a very good point. You're absolutely right! The funny thing is, "I've never been skiing" didn't set off any "grammar alarms" in my head --- even though after 16 years of teaching ESL, those alarms are usually quite easily tripped. So, I've been scratching my head as to why not. (Do you think head-scratching can repair an alarm? ;))

"I've been skiing" would be present perfect continuous of the verb 'to ski'. If you pay strict attention to the "Grammar Gods", then "I've never skied" would be preferable to "I've never been skiing". But "I've never gone skiing" would be the best choice of all.

I'm a puzzler by nature, so I did a Google search for "never been skiing" and got 25,200 results. Hmmmmm.... A quirk in popular usage?

Amy
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"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Alan]

Hi Amy and Conchita,

Let me into a secret,will you? What are you talking about, please?

Why do you say:

[Yankee]

Hi Alan

Thanks for the input. ;) Your feedback tells me that 'I've never been skiing' sounds just as valid to you as 'I've never gone skiing'.

This is what I understand to be the point of the conversation between Conchita and me:

The word 'never' is not normally used in a present perfect continuous (progessive) sentence. e.g.:

I've never worked in London is definitely better than I've never been working in London.

But somehow it sounds OK in the sentence 'I've never been skiing.'

Amy

Edit:
If you say 'I've never been to London', then 'be' would have a meaning similar to 'go'. So I guess that's the explanation for the 'skiing' sentence, too. Thanks.
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"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Alan]

Hi Amy,

Your sentence:

[Yankee]

Hi Alan,

Yes, I guess you could use it that way, but I would probably tend to use the simple present perfect in the second half of the sentence.
I've been working in London now for many years but I've never worked at a time when there were so many tourists around.

Or worse, it (the verb work) might just end up in the simple past tense from an American mouth ;)

I've been working in London now for many years but I never worked at a time when there were so many tourists around.

Amy.
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"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln