The minute differences

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Rotter

#455746 Fri, 21 Dec 07 09:29 PM

1. I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet.

2. I do not have any money because I lost my wallet.

3. I do not have any money because I lost my wallet.

Are all fine?

What is the difference in the meaning between the second and the third sentences?

If you lose your wallet, I think it is fine to use the present perfect tense.

Natural sentence is the simple present tense which is the third one.

Your thoughts are welcome.

Rotter

Joined on Sun, Jul 24 2005

Japan

Regular Member (655)

Я люблю российских девочек.

Simple present, Tenses, Present tenses, Present perfect

Feebs11

#455752 Fri, 21 Dec 07 10:21 PM

Are you sure you have types #2 and #3 correctly? There is no difference between them - they are exactly the same.

Was one meant to say "...I have lost my wallet"?

Feebs11

Joined on Thu, Nov 23 2006

Senior Member (4,937)

Difference between

Arvsworld

#455915 Sat, 22 Dec 07 09:48 AM

Rotter wrote:

1. I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet.
2. I do not have any money because I lost my wallet.
3. I do not have any money because I lost my wallet.

Are all fine?
What is the difference in the meaning between the second and the third sentences?
If you lose your wallet, I think it is fine to use the present perfect tense.
Natural sentence is the simple present tense which is the third one.
Your thoughts are welcome.

They are all fine. 2 and 3 are identical.
Sentence 1 implies that you are telling a story about something that happened in the past.

I think you meant sentence 2 to be:
I do not have any money because I have lost my wallet.
If this is what you meant, it implies that you lost your wallet just a few moments ago -- very recent.

Sentence 3 implies that you lost your wallet further back in time -- perhaps a few days ago.

Arvsworld

Joined on Sun, Feb 26 2006

Here, There and Everywhere

Full Member (178)

What? Where? When? How? Who? Why?

Simple present, Tenses, Present tenses, Present perfect

Rotter

#455977 Sat, 22 Dec 07 02:21 PM

Thanks for the replies.

3. I do not have any money because I lost my wallet.

I made a blunder. The above should read as follows:

4. 3. I do not have any money because I have lost my wallet.

I posted the question last night. I posted it just after arriving home from the gym. I was hungry. I wrote it while food was cooking. I am sorry to make this blunder.

Rotter

Feebs11

#456145 Sat, 22 Dec 07 11:13 PM

No problem - we understand!

Feebs11