Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ qù guo Shànghǎi, yě zài Běijīng gōngzuò guo. - I have been to Shanghai, and I have also worked in Beijing.

过 marks experiential aspect: you have done the action at least once before now.
It does not say when it happened, how long it took, or whether it finished with a result; it just records prior experience.
It comes right after the verb: 去过, 工作过.

Why are there two 过’s? Can’t one 过 cover both actions?

No. 过 attaches to a specific verb. Since there are two different verbs (去 and 工作), you need 去过 and 工作过. If you omit the second 过, 也在北京工作 would usually be understood as “(I) also work in Beijing (now).”

Can I replace 过 with 了? What’s the difference?

过 = prior experience (“have done before”).
了 = a bounded, completed event (often a specific occurrence).
Examples:
- 我去过上海 = I’ve been to Shanghai (at least once).
- 我去年去了上海 = I went to Shanghai last year (a specific trip).
- 我在北京工作了三年 = I worked in Beijing for three years (duration is bounded).
Don’t say 我去过了上海. If you want both markers, put sentence-final 了: 我去过上海了 (now it’s the case that I’ve already been to Shanghai).

How do I negate this?

Use 没/没有 + V + 过:

我没(有)去过上海，也没(有)在北京工作过。
For “never,” add 从来: 我从来没(有)去过上海。

Don’t use 不 with 过 (✗ 我不去过上海).

How would I make it a yes–no question?

With 吗: 你去过上海吗？你也在北京工作过吗？
A-not-A pattern: 你去过没有/去没去过上海？你在北京工作过没有/工作过没？

Where should 也 go? Can I move it around?

也 is an adverb placed before the predicate it modifies. Different positions change focus:

我去过上海，也在北京工作过 = In addition, I have worked in Beijing.
我也去过上海，在北京工作过 = I, too, have been to Shanghai (someone else has), and I have worked in Beijing.
我去过上海，在北京也工作过 = I also worked in Beijing (as well as somewhere else).

Can I drop 也?

Yes: 我去过上海，在北京工作过. It becomes two plain statements; 也 simply makes the additive relationship explicit.

Why is it 在北京工作 and not 工作在北京?

Chinese typically places location before the verb: 在 + place + V. So 在北京工作 is natural. 工作在北京 sounds stiff or unidiomatic in everyday speech (though you’ll see patterns like 工作地点在北京 “the work location is in Beijing”).

What exactly is 在 doing here?

Here 在 is a coverb/preposition meaning “at/in,” introducing a location: 在北京 + 工作过. It’s not the progressive marker (as in 我在工作 “I’m working”), because that use is 在 + V without a place phrase.

Could I use 都 to say “both Shanghai and Beijing”?

Yes, if the verb is the same for both places:

我在上海和北京都工作过 = I’ve worked in both Shanghai and Beijing.
我上海和北京都去过 = I’ve been to both Shanghai and Beijing. You can’t just replace 也 with 都 in the original because the two clauses use different verbs.

Is 到过 better than 去过 for “have been to”?

Both are fine:

去过上海 emphasizes the going (most common in conversation).
到过上海 emphasizes having arrived/been there (a bit more formal or written). Meaning overlaps a lot; you can use either with place names.

Can I add specific time words with 过?

Yes:

我去年去过上海 = I went (at least once) last year.
我2015 年在北京工作过 = I worked in Beijing at some point in 2015 (as an experience). If you’re narrating a single, specific event, 了 is often preferred: 我去年去了上海.

Does 过 imply I’m not doing it now?

It usually describes a past experience and does not continue into the present. It doesn’t strictly say you’re not doing it now, but if something is ongoing, don’t use 过:

Ongoing: 我在北京工作 / 我在北京工作了三年了 (and still ongoing).
Past experience: 我在北京工作过.

How is 过 pronounced here?

As the aspect particle, 过 is read in a neutral tone (guo). When 过 is the full verb “to pass,” it’s fourth tone (guò).

Can I link the clauses with 而且/并且/还?

还 adds “what’s more”: 我去过上海，还在北京工作过.
而且/并且 are more formal and often used with 不但/不仅, but 而且 alone is possible: 我去过上海，而且在北京工作过.
Don’t use 和 to link full clauses with different verbs.

How do I say I also worked in Shanghai (the same place just mentioned)?

我去过上海，也在上海工作过.
Or use a pronoun to tie back: 我去过上海，也在那儿工作过.

Can I add 曾经 or 以前 for emphasis?

Yes:

我曾经去过上海，也在北京工作过.
我以前在北京工作过. 曾经 often co-occurs with 过 to strengthen the “once before” feeling.

Where do time words go relative to 也 and 在?

Typical order: Subject + Time + 也 + 在 + Place + V + 过.

Example: 我去年也在北京工作过. Avoid 我也去年在北京工作过 (odd word order).

Is it grammatical to say 我也去过上海，也在北京工作过?

Yes. Putting 也 before both predicates emphasizes that both are additional facts relative to some prior context (e.g., compared with someone else’s experiences).

Any common pitfalls with 也 and 过 together?

Keep 也 right before the predicate it modifies; don’t split 在 and its place phrase (✗ 在也北京…).
If you mean “have done,” don’t forget 过 after each verb.
Use 没/没有 + V + 过 for negation, not 不.