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Moivile Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

before+Past Perfect vs. before+Past Simple




Hello,



Are these correct?



I came to his place before he played chess = I came to his place before he began playing chess.



I came to his place before he had played chess = I came to his place before he finished playing chess.





And another question:

What difference is there between the meanings of the following sentences?



I came to his place before he read the book

I came to his place before he had read the book



Thanks!!!
  

Top answer

There is no call for past perfect in your sentences. 'Before' is an adequate sequence marker. These are correct: I came to his place before he played chess = I came to his place before he began playing chess.

— Mister Micawber

  • There is no call for past perfect in your sentences.
  • 'Before' is an adequate sequence marker.
  • These are correct: I came to his place before he played chess = I came to his place before he began playing chess.
  • I came to his place before he finished playing chess = I came to his place before he finished playing chess.
  • I came to his place before he read the book.
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14 Answers
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There is no call for past perfect in your sentences. 'Before' is an adequate sequence marker. These are correct:



I came to his place before he played chess = I came to his place before he began playing chess.

I came to his place before he finished playing chess = I came to his place before he finished playing chess.

I cam
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But the Past Perfect are often used after “before”



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Please read through California Jim's careful analysis. I repeat: There is no call for past perfect in your sentences. 'Before' is an adequate sequence marker in your sentences. It is only needed if some sort of stress is required for the precedence of the earlier action.
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Do I understand rightly?



I came to his place before he was reading the book = I came to his place before he began reading the book

I came to his place before he read the book = I came to his place before he finished reading the book.

I came to his place before he had read the book = I came to his place before the moment when he had already read the whole
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I think you are over-structuring and getting it very wrong.

I came to his place before he was reading the book -- This is not good/normal English, since the durational event (was reading) is totally outside the time of the point event (came).

I came to his place before he read the book = I came to his place before he started?
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before he started or finished = before he finished:)
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What do you mean by saying “started? or finished?”?
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I can't tell whether 'read the book' means 'read all of the book' or 'read some of the book'. It is somewhat ambiguous.
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Well, but “had read the book” means “read all of the book”, isn’t it?
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Yes, it puts the whole incident clearly in the previous past-- and that is what past perfect's for.
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