Before and past perfect/simple
Hello,
could anyone help we with the following issue please - do both these sentences mean exactly the same?
I watched/was watching TV before they came.
I had watched TV before they came.
I am a bit confused, I think the first sentence could mean that I was watching TV up to the moment they came or I had finished watching some time before they came, but the second one only means that I finished some time before they came and was not watching TV until they came. Thank you in advance!
Top answer
I had watched TV before they came. Yes. Lucy Lucy I think the first sentence could mean that I was watching TV up to the moment they came or I had finished watching some time before they came, but the second one only means that I finished some time before they came and was not watching TV until they came.
- I had watched TV before they came.
- Yes.
- Lucy Lucy I think the first sentence could mean that I was watching TV up to the moment they came or I had finished watching some time before they came, but the second one only means that I finished some time before they came and was not watching TV until they came.
- No, that is not true.
- All that is true is that past perfect is unnecessary in your second sentence because the word 'before' already makes the order of past events clear.
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Lucy Lucy do both these sentences mean exactly the same?I watched/was watching TV before they came.I had watched TV before they came.
Yes.
Lucy LucyI think the first sentence could mean that I was watching TV up to the moment they came or I had finished watching some time before they came, but the second one only means that I fin
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