> アメリカへ行ったことがある。(lit: I have been to America.)

Which is the correct other translation?

A: There **is** a time when I went to America.

B: There **was** a time when I went to America.

Bonus question: Is it possible to say アメリカへ行ったことがあった or アメリカへ行ったことがなかった ?
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2016-12-06T09:13:05.200
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2016-12-07T05:01:14.803
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grammar
The correct English translation for ～ことがある
> ことがある

Means : There is

That usage is meant to say : There is such an event in my life where X
happened.

Unless you got the power to travel through time and change history,

> アメリカへ行ったことがあった

Is impossible.  
It would mean you had the experience of going there, but you don't have it
anymore.

On the other hand

> アメリカへ行ったことがなかった

Is quite natural.  
It means that until you went, you had never been there.(It was your first
time.)

As far as English go. I feel like "there was" would have a similar meaning to
"there is".
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2016-12-06T10:04:27.523
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The ことがある grammar structure can be used with both a past and a non-past verb
form, but with different meaning.

For the meaning you wish to convey, we can use a past tense verb: **Vpast
+ことがある**

It means literally something like "there was a time when..."

But in terms of English translation, it is best looked at in question form
first.

> アメリカへ行ったことがありますか

is the equivalent of "Have you ever been to America?" Making a statement with
these grammar therefore means that you have done or experienced something
before.

> アメリカへ行ったことがあります

- "I have been to America (and that experience has stayed with me)"

This is different from アメリカへ行きました which simply means "I went to America"

Using **Vnon-past +ことがある** expresses something like "there are times when..."
and expresses that something happens from time to time.

For example

> 朝ごはんを食べずに学校に行くことがあります

- "There are times when I go to school without eating breakfast".
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2016-12-06T12:48:25.933
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I would say that either translation could be used, especially as an
intermediate translation before tidying up the language. For the final
translation, though, it is likely that I would use the much simpler "I have
been to America [before]."
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2016-12-06T23:46:57.433
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