TextRanch

The best way to perfect your writing.

Discover why 1,062,726 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected!

1. Input your text below.
2. Get it corrected in a few minutes by our editors.
3. Improve your English!

One of our experts will correct your English.

I have been here before vs I was here before

Both options are correct, but they are different in tense. 'I have been here before' is used to indicate that the speaker has visited a place at some point in the past and may still have a connection to it. 'I was here before' states that the speaker was at the current location in the past but does not imply any current connection.

Explained by Vince
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: October 23, 2024 • 12853 views

I have been here before

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a past experience of being in a place.

This phrase is used to convey that the speaker has visited the location at some point in the past and may still have a connection to it.

Examples:

I have been here before, and it's always a pleasure to return.
She said she had been here before, but couldn't remember the exact details.

Show examples from the web [+]

Well, I have been here before.
But I have been here before.
You know, I really think I have been here before.
I have been here before, but it's as if I have not.
Yes, yes. It's strange that I have never yet set foot in this building, but I have the distinct impression that I have been here before.
I have been here before.
I have been here before.
I have been here before.
I have been here before.
I have been here before.
I have been here before, so don't tell us we have crossed the border when we haven't.
I Haven't Been Here Before But I Know This Place.
Please, it's not like I haven't been here before.
It's not like I haven't been here before.
I can't believe I haven't been here before.
Something's very wrong here. I don't know these people. I have never been here before.
Doctor Ransome, I believe we have been here before.
I haven't been here since before Regina's curse.
I have never been here before. I'm from DC.
Although I have been here several times before I have never had the chance to address a plenary session.

Alternatives:

I have visited this place before.
I have come here before.
I have been to this location before.
I have experienced this place before.
I have previously been here.

I was here before

This phrase is also correct and commonly used in English to indicate a past visit to a location.

This phrase simply states that the speaker was at the location in the past without implying any current connection or experience.

Examples:

I was here before you arrived.
He said he was here before, but didn't mention anything about it.

Show examples from the web [+]

No, I was here before, and I want to die before her.
I was here before you.
Some of you might remember that I was here before.
I was here before, right?
I was here before, Floor 139.
I was here before.
I was here before you.
You knew I was here before you even came.
I was here before, on this beach.
I was here before the highway split this great valley.
And I was here before Damon.
Indeed I was here before I left... and poor Michelozzi... also because...
I didn't notice that when I was here before.
When I was here before, I read the date in your Bible.
I was here before her first marriage blew up and I'll be here after she's done with you, too.
Wait a minute I was here before?
I was here before gangs. I'll be here long after they're gone.
You know, you and Philip seem different than you were when I was here before.
I was here before him, and he's running the department?
I was here before him! - what are you yelling about?

Alternatives:

I had been here before.
I had visited this place before.
I had come here before.
I had been to this location before.
I had experienced this place before.

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

Why choose TextRanch?

Lowest prices
Up to 50% lower than other online editing sites.

Fastest Times
Our team of editors is working for you 24/7.

Qualified Editors
Native English experts for UK or US English.

Top Customer Service
We are here to help. Satisfaction guaranteed!