http://www.englishforums.com/English/EslGeneralEnglishGrammar-Questions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here. <font color=red>DO NOT post paragraphs and compositions here. Post them in our <a href="http://www.englishforums.com/English/EssayReportCompositionWriting/Forum9.htm"><b>Essay, Report and Composition Writing Forum</b></a>.</font>enXMOD (Build: 3616.28671)http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/2/gnhxg/Post.htm#567688Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:14:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:567688nokia0http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/2/gnhxg/Post.htm#567688http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-567688.xmlThank you all for your responses. I need some time to digest everything... :Dhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/2/gnhxg/Post.htm#567619Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:14:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:567619Avangi1http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/2/gnhxg/Post.htm#567619http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-567619.xmlthese very basic English grammar questions (feeling a bit embarrassed posting them here.. :P): Hi, nokia. As you can see, there was no reason to feel embarrassed! - A.http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/2/gnhxg/Post.htm#567614Tue, 26 May 2009 01:14:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:567614CalifJim2http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/2/gnhxg/Post.htm#567614http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-567614.xmlThey are all correct. For lengthier discussions with lots of examples of the use of the past perfect tense after before , see Re: before past perfect tense , past tense and Re: Past Simple or Past Perfect . This is a common pattern for expressing &quot;interruptive relationships&quot; between actions. (Leaving university &quot;interrupts&quot; the normal course of events which would have led to exams; the sacking &quot;interrupts&quot; the normal course of events which would have led to an explanation of the behavior.) The main clause contains the &quot;interrupting&quot; action. The before clause contains the &quot;interrupted&quot; action. Because the interrupted action has not taken place, the past perfect may be considered a way...http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567603Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:14:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:567603Doll3http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567603http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-567603.xmlHi Clive, Could you give us more explanation about your points because I afree Newguest and I didn&#39;t understand your reason. (Should I use a question mark?) Take care.http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567577Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:14:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:567577Philip4http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567577http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-567577.xmlHi guys, A. I left university before I had taken the final exam. B. I left university before I took the final exams. A. She sacked him before he had had a chance to explain his behavior. B. She sacked him before he had a chance to explain his behavior. Are they all grammatically correct or only A is correct? They are all OK. The Past Perfect is often not used when a word &#39;like &#39;before&#39; or &#39;after&#39; makes the sequence of events clear. Best wishes, Clive My question: is there a sequence of events? If he didn&#39;t take the exam, the clause should be without taking the final exam , to be specific and not misleading. I find this type of thing quite often, and it bugs me no end.http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567572Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:14:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:567572Newguest5http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567572http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-567572.xmlHi It seems to me that it is incorrect to use &quot;I had taken&quot; in the first example because first I left the university and only then could I take an exam, not the other way round. So I would say either I had left the university before I took the final exam OR I left the university before I took the final exam. The same with: She sacked him before he HAD HAD a chance to explain his behaviour. --personally I see no reason for using &quot;had had a chance&quot; I would rather say: She HAD sacked him.. (because it happened first before he managed to explain himself) OR I would say : She sacked him before he had a chance to explain his behaviour , but I wouldn&#39;t use &quot;had had a chance&quot; Thanks Do you...http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567478Tue, 26 May 2009 01:14:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:567478Newguest6http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567478http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-567478.xmlHi It seems to me that it is incorrect to use &quot;I had taken&quot; in the first example because first I left the university and only then could I take an exam, not the other way round. So I would say either I had left the university before I took the final exam OR I left the university before I took the final exam. The same with: She sacked him before he HAD HAD a chance to explain his behaviour. --personally I see no reason for using &quot;had had a chance&quot; I would rather say: She HAD sacked him.. (because it happened first before he managed to explain himself) OR I would say : She sacked him before he had a chance to explain his behaviour , but I wouldn&#39;t use &quot;had had a chance&quot; Thankshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567352Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:14:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:567352Clive7http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567352http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-567352.xmlHi guys, A. I left university before I had taken the final exam. B. I left university before I took the final exams. A. She sacked him before he had had a chance to explain his behavior. B. She sacked him before he had a chance to explain his behavior. Are they all grammatically correct or only A is correct? They are all OK. The Past Perfect is often not used when a word &#39;like &#39;before&#39; or &#39;after&#39; makes the sequence of events clear. Best wishes, Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567344Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:14:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:567344Newguest8http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567344http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-567344.xmlHi I would say: I had left the university before I took the final exam. OR I left the university before taking the final exam She had sacked him before he had a chance to explain his behaviourhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567333Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:14:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:567333Avangi9http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567333http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-567333.xmlDoll&#39;s point seems perfectly correct, but for some reason my ear accepts the &quot;A.&quot; examples. I thought I had it figured out, but I guess I&#39;ll have to think again. - A.http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567313Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:14:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:567313Doll10http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htm#567313http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-567313.xmlHello, welcome to EF. My try: A. I left university before I had taken the final exam. --- Doesn&#39;t sound right to me. The precedence of the the events is important here. First off you should deide which event happens first. For this sentece I would write &quot; I had left university before I took the final exam.&quot; First you leave university. B. I left university before I took the final exams. ---- This sentence doesn&#39;t sound wrong to me but not as detailed as the sentence I wrote. A. She sacked him before he had had a chance to explain his behavior. My comments with these sentences are the same with the previous ones. B. She sacked him before he had a chance to explain his behavior.http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htmMon, 26 Jan 2009 02:14:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:567262nokia11http://www.englishforums.com/English/SomeBasicGrammarQuestions/gnhxg/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-567262.xmlNormal 0 Hope that someone could answer these very basic English grammar questions (feeling a bit embarrassed posting them here.. :P): A. I left university before I had taken the final exam. B. I left university before I took the final exams. A. She sacked him before he had had a chance to explain his behavior. B. She sacked him before he had a chance to explain his behavior. Are they all grammatically correct or only A is correct? Thanks!