7pm before I did ... before you did at 6pm

Question

I have made up two sentences below.(1) You got here at 7pm before I did.(2) John arrived at the library before I did at 6pm.Is it OK to put a specific time in a clause when it is used with "before"?Thanks a lot.

Vsuresh · Accepted Answer

I think they are OK.

CalifJim · Answer

ansonguy
I have made up two sentences below.
(1) You got here at 7pm before I did.
(2) John arrived at the library before I did at 6pm.
Is it OK to put a specific time in a clause when it is used with "before"?
Thanks a lot.

Those sound unnatural to me, especially the first one.

If I get "here" and you are already "here", of course you got here before I did. There seems to be no reason to announce that fact.

Now that I see you are already here, my question is "What time did you get here?" because I just arrived, so I don't know that you got here at 7pm. And once you tell me and I know what time you got here, why would I tell you the same thing in the form of "You got here at 7pm"?

None of that makes sense to me.

Now if there was a dispute later about when two people arrived, the sentences would go something like this:

— I'm sure you got here before I did.
— No. That's not right. You got here at 7pm, so that was before I did because I didn't get here until 8.

(2) should be

I arrived at the library at 6pm, and John arrived later.

CJ

7pm before I did ... before you did at 6pm

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