Until

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Liveinjapan

#545817 Thu, 24 Jul 08 10:16 AM

I had to wait until it had stopped biting.

I had to wait until it stopped biting.

If there's any difference between the two sentences, could you tell me please?

Liveinjapan

Joined on Sun, Feb 4 2007

Osaka, Japan

Contributing Member (1,593)

Please feel free to correct any words I wrote.LiJ

Difference between

Gencebay90

#545820 Thu, 24 Jul 08 10:34 AM

As far as I know, There is not so big a difference, but:

#1 emphasizes the completion of the action because of the past perfect there. I mean the writer imples that" only after it had stopped bitng did s/he get out of it"

Smile

Gencebay90

Joined on Sun, Sep 2 2007

Turkey

Junior Member (89)

In a corner of every heart is a wounded place

Past perfect

Marius Hancu

#545837 Thu, 24 Jul 08 12:07 PM

I had to wait until it had stopped biting. [you could say that in this case the waiting takes more time, to make sure that ...

I had to wait until it stopped biting.

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Veteran Member (11,673)

New2grammar

#545840 Thu, 24 Jul 08 12:13 PM

until it had sounds like until after it ..., IMO. Waht do you think?

New2grammar

Joined on Tue, Nov 21 2006

Veteran Member (7,670)

Who wants to go sailing around the world with me?

Liveinjapan

#545857 Thu, 24 Jul 08 12:56 PM

Thanks everyone!

I get how the past perfect works here.

Liveinjapan

Past perfect

Liveinjapan

#545881 Thu, 24 Jul 08 01:41 PM

New2grammar
until it had sounds like until after it ..., IMO. Waht do you think?

What do you mean does 'until after' imply here, New2?

I think "until after" might imply a time lag between biting and the next action(,or maybe not). But I think the past perfect, to the contrary, indicates 'just after it stopped biting', IMO.
If the sentence is like 'I didn't do that until it had stopped...,' then it means 'just after it stopped it I did that,' where there may be no time lag, IMO.

Liveinjapan

Grammar, Past perfect

New2grammar

#546153 Fri, 25 Jul 08 07:21 AM

Liveinjapan
If the sentence is like 'I didn't do that until it had stopped...,' then it means 'just after it stopped it I did that,' where there may be no time lag, IMO.

I beg to differ. To indicate there's probably no delay, you would need to say "I didn't do that until it stopped". Using 'had' makes the possibility of a delay higher.

But I could be wrong, which is why I posted that question. I would like to hear from a native.

New2grammar

Liveinjapan

#546178 Fri, 25 Jul 08 09:59 AM

Liveinjapan
If the sentence is like 'I didn't do that until it had stopped...,' then it means 'just after it stopped it I did that,' where there may be no time lag, IMO.

Hi New2

I should have said 'until it had stopped..' and 'until I stopped ...' are not much different in terms of a time lag.
If you want to indicate a time lag, I think you could say 'I didn't do that before it stopped biting.'

Of course, you might want to hear from natives!

Liveinjapan

New2grammar

#546247 Fri, 25 Jul 08 02:04 PM

Liveinjapan

I should have said 'until it had stopped..' and 'until I stopped ...' are not much different in terms of a time lag.
If you want to indicate a time lag, I think you could say 'I didn't do that before it stopped biting.'

I see. So, you would use them interchangeably? I mean, the constructions "until...had" and "until ...past tense"? I guess in some contexts, the difference is little but I don't think that's what native speakers do. There's always some difference and sometimes, it determines naturalness. Of course, I could be wrong. I'm still waiting for a native Sad

Hello, natives. We need some aid here Smile

New2grammar

Constructions, Tenses, Past tenses

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