THE INCLUSIVE PRESENT Past Activities within a Period extending to and including the
6. On reaching the station, he found that his friends had just arrived
4. When Ali came to England in x952, he had already learnt to speak English well.
8. The bus driver was just about to start when he remembered that he had not filled the petrol tank.
9. We had got everything ready for them long before they arrived.
10. They had been to several parties during the Christmas holidays.
§ 46 b. The Past Perfect naturally replaces the Past Tense and the Present Perfect Tense in reported speech after a reporting verb in the Past Tense. Compare the use of ago with the Past
‘Tense and before (or earlier, previously) with the Past Perfect
Tense, .
1. I have already read that book.’ She told me that she had already vead that book.
2, “They left the district a few months ago.’ I was told that they had left the district a few months before (earlier, previously).
3. ‘Where have you been? What have you been doing?’ He asked me where I had been and what I had been doing.
4. ‘George died two days ago.’ They told me that George had died two days before.
5. “I visited Naples two years ago.’ Mary told me that she had visited Naples two years before.
§ 46 c. If the sequence of events is clear without the use of two different tenses, the Past Tense may be used to indicate two (or more) events. This is usually the case when the conjunction is before.
He opened the window before he got into bed.
The bus started just before I reached the bus stop.
ior
With other conjunctions the Past Perfect Tense is usually needed to indicate the earlier of two events.
When he had had his supper, he went io bed.
Compare the two examples below. In the first example the two events occur together. In the second example the events follow one another.
When the Queen entered the hall, the orchestra played the National Anthem.
When the Anthem had been played, the concert began.
§ 46d. The conjunctions used to join two sentences in which we indicate two past events, one of which preceded the other, are when, before, after, until, once, now that, and as soon as, There are often alternative constructions. These are illustrated below.
1(a) When I reached the station, the train had already left.
(b) I reached the station after the train had left. (c) I didn’t reach the station until after the train had left. (d) The train (had) left before I reached the station.
2(a) When we got to the hall, the concert had already started.
(b) We got to the hall after the concert had started. (c) We didn’t get to the hall until after the concert had started. (d) The concert (had) started before we got to the hall,
3 (a) For several years after Green (had) left college, he was em~
ployed by an insurance company. (b) When Green left college, he was employed for several years by an insurance company.
4(@) As soon as they had finished breakfast, they ran out to play.
(®) They van out to play after they had finished breakfast.
NOTES
rd and 2d. As these examples show, the Past Tense is possible instead of the Past Perfect Tense in clauses with before. The conjunction before itself indicates the difference in time.
3a and 3b. Here, too, the sequence of events is clear without the use of different tenses.
§ 46 e. Compare the use of when and before and of when and after
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in these pairs of sentences. Note the changes from affirmative to negative in the examples marked a and 3.
1a. When the bell rang, we had finished our work. The bell rang after we had finished our work,
ib. When the bell rang, we had not finished our work. The bell rang before we had finished our work.
2a. When I met George, he had already heard the news. I met George after he had heard the news,
2b. When I met George, he had not yet heard the news. I met George before he had heard the news.
3a. When Tom called to see me, I had already had breakfast. Tom called to see me after I had had breakfast,
3Š. When Tom called to see me, I had not had breakfast. Tom called to see me before I had had breakfast.
4a. When the thief was caught, he had alveady disposed of the stolen goods. The thief was caught after he had disposed of the stolen goods,
4b. When the thief was caught, he had not yet disposed of the stolen goods. The thief was caught before he had disposed of the stolen goods.
5a. When we reached the football ground, the game had alveady started. We reached the football ground after the game had started.
50. When we reached the football ground, the game had not yet started. We reached the football ground before the game had started.
§46f. The Past Perfect Tense is used with such verbs as hope, expect, think, intend, mean (== intend), suppose, and want to indicate that a past hope, expectation, intention, desire, etc., was not realized.
1. We had hoped that you would be able to visit us.
2. I had meant (intended) to call on you, but was prevented from doing so.
3. She had thought of paying us a visit but the bad weather made her change her plans.
4. Lhadn’t expected that. That was something I hadn't expected.
5- They had wanted to help but couldn't get here in time.
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6. I hadn’t for a minute supposed (expected) that I should get the fist prize. (But my supposition or expectation was mistaken. I did
get the first prize.)