Mrs Jones has been to visit vs (has visited)

0It is common phraseology. It suggests the reason for her absence/travels/etc. It is also a completed action in the past. I'll have to do some digging to come up with a rationale for the formation, though, Kili.0-

0Thanks Micawber.02br
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00Never have I seen such a structure in any of the grammar books I have. If it is a completed action in the past, then, it's gotta be somewhat equal to "Mrs Jones visited. Now I'm puzzled by "three tenses":02br
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001. Mrs Jones has been to visit her grandsons.02br
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002. Mrs Jones has visited her grandso

0Yes, 1=3, but as I said, it carries the additional connotation of commenting on the completed action or explaining Mrs Jones's whereabouts.02br
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00I haven't been able to find the form in my grammar books either yet, Kili. The problem is the indices-- they don't index the form, and I haven't time to go through the multitudinous page references indicated for simply '01

0 Thank you very much for your invaluable help and comment Micawber. 0-

0I'd say that 'has been to' or 'have been to' and variations thereon mean to go somewhere with a purpose in mind. It's unfortunate that in this example it is teamed up with 'visit' as that pretty much has the same meaning. To me, 'has been to visit' shows that she went specifically with the purpose of seeing her grandsons, rather than just popping in while she was in the area, which could be the

0Hi guys,02br
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00I'd like to add a brief comment.02br
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01b00Mrs Jones 01font00has been to visit02font00 her grandsons. 02b00This suggests that she went to visit them, 01i00and that she has returned. 02i02br
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00Michael Swan touches on this brie

0I'm not sure, Nona, that changing the verb to 'seen' really helps here, as the essence is contained within 'visit'.02br
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00If I change the verb to 'read' in the fabricated sentences below:02br
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00He's been to read the newspaper. (= presumably at the library or somewhere and therefore involving travelling)02br
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00He's read t

0As a minor footnote:02br
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00This idiom seems to occur only in the perfect forms, e.g.02br
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001. 01u00Have you been02u00 to China? 02br
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002. You don't have 01u00to have been02u00 to university to be a judge.02br
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003. He 01u00had been02u

0Sorry guys,02br
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00I'll have ask you for a few "verbs" with which this structer is confined. Seemingly, this rule doesn't apply to all verbs randomly, does it?0-

0Are you speaking of the 'auxiliary verb' ( 01i00have been to / gone to / come to02i00 / 01i00run to02i00) or the main verb (01i00visit, see02i00, etc)?-- the main verb is an open set.0-