simple past/past perfect

1 2
   Share on Facebook  
Newguest  #518547  Sat, 24 May 08 08:16 PM

Hello

 

1. This morning most of the students arrived at school fifteen minutes after the lesson had begun.

2. The traffic was terrible, so by the time we arrived at the airport, our flight had left.

3. When we met I had a strange feeling I had seen him somewhere else.

I would use the past perfect in all of them, however I'm wondering if this would also be fine to use the past simple in the first one, i.e., ..the lesson began? Would you change something?

  
Top 75 Contributor
Joined on Sun, Feb 25 2007
Contributing Member (1,076)
Philip  #518571  Sat, 24 May 08 11:30 PM
The past perfect (pluperfect) is correct in all three sentences.  They refer to an action completed before another action expressed in the past.  Good job.
  
Top 25 Contributor
Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005
USA Pacific Northwest (Seattle)
Veteran Member (6,181)
ModeratorProficient Speaker
At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen
CalifJim  #518635  Sun, 25 May 08 09:00 AM
Newguest
I'm wondering if this it would also be fine all right to use the past simple in the first one, i.e., ..the lesson began? Would you change something?
You could change it, and the time sequence would still be clear.  Personally, I would not change it.

CJ 

  
Top 10 Contributor
Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004
California
Veteran Member (16,966)
ModeratorProficient Speaker
"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche
New2grammar  #518667  Sun, 25 May 08 11:43 AM

CJ, could you help me understand why 'fine' is incorrect? I thought fine and all right were interchangable.

 

  
Top 10 Contributor
Joined on Tue, Nov 21 2006
Veteran Member (7,670)
Who wants to go sailing around the world with me?
Marius Hancu  #518676  Sun, 25 May 08 12:24 PM
Google Books:  

127 on "be fine to use"

http://books.google.com/books?q=%22be+fine+to+use%22&btnG=Search+Books

 
539
on "be all right to use" [Seems indeed the dominant one

http://books.google.com/books?q=%22be+all+right+to+use%22&btnG=Search+Books

 

 

  
Top 10 Contributor
Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006
Montreal, Canada
Veteran Member (11,673)
Proficient Speaker
Newguest  #518679  Sun, 25 May 08 12:33 PM

CalifJim
Newguest
I'm wondering if this it would also be fine all right to use the past simple in the first one, i.e., ..the lesson began? Would you change something?
You could change it, and the time sequence would still be clear.  Personally, I would not change it.

 

CJ 

Hi

I'm also wondering why "this" and "fine" are incorrect? Are they just more colloquial than "it" and "all right"?

 

thanks

  
Marius Hancu  #518682  Sun, 25 May 08 12:40 PM
 "This" is definitely wrong, as you're describing a general, abstract situation, which needs "it". "Fine" is just less used than "all right" as shown in my previous posting. 
  
Newguest  #518684  Sun, 25 May 08 12:41 PM

Marius Hancu
Google Books:  

 

127 on "be fine to use"

http://books.google.com/books?q=%22be+fine+to+use%22&btnG=Search+Books

 
539
on "be all right to use" [Seems indeed the dominant one

http://books.google.com/books?q=%22be+all+right+to+use%22&btnG=Search+Books

 

 

 

I see. So, it and all right just sound better?

  
Marius Hancu  #518686  Sun, 25 May 08 12:46 PM
 "It" will sound correct. "All right" will sound better for more people, which is what you want.
  
1 2
AddThis Feed Button RSS Feed: ESL General English Grammar Questions
© 2008 MediaCET Ltd.
Terms and Conditions & Terms of Service