Correction (A dialogue)

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Hi,- Hi John, long time no see. How have you been?- Sorry for my disappearing. I'm doing well. What about you?- Same. Hey, you remember that guy? He had sold you a cell phone once?- Yes. How about him?- Well, he's been captured by aliens.(My own imagination)Anything sounds unnatural to you? Would you correct them?Thanks in advance...

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

johner- Hi John, long time no see. How have you been?
- Sorry for my disappearing. I'm doing well. What about you?
- Same. Hey, you remember that guy? He had sold you a cell phone once?
- Yes. How about him?
- Well, he's been captured by aliens.

- Hi John, long time no see. How have you been?
- [See note below.] I'm doing well. How about you?
- The same. Hey, do you remember the guy that sold you a cell phone ?
- Yes. What about him?
- Well, he's been captured by aliens.

(Sorry for disappearing seems to have dropped into the conversation from outer space!

Did you mean something like I've been busy, so I haven't been around much?)

CJ

Johner · Answer

Hi CJ,

CalifJimSorry for disappearing seems to have dropped into the conversation from outer space!

I can't say I understand what you mean but I've got this feeling that apologizing for disappearing is something we musn't do

.

CalifJimDid you mean something like I've been busy, so I haven't been around much?)

Yes, but if you don't mind I'd like to use the word "disappear" please. I need a way of doing this?

. Metaphorically of course.

CalifJimdo you remember the guy that sold you a cell phone ?

Actually I seperated it to two sentences on purpose? I wanted to use past perfect with the adverb "once". Why can I not do this? The selling occured so long ago. And also I didn't give any specific time. If you have the time could you please explain why I can't?

Thanks again..

CalifJim · Answer

johnerif you don't mind I'd like to use the word "disappear" please. ... Metaphorically of course.

I don't think that would make for very idiomatic English. Not even metaphorically. Although ...

You might say, I guess I did a disappearing act, didn't I?

Maybe it's a cultural thing, but apologizing for not being available - when you haven't previously promised to be available - doesn't seem like a typical thing for an English speaker to say, but maybe it's just me.

johnerI wanted to use past perfect with the adverb "once". Why can I not do this? The selling occured so long ago.

Do you remember? is the present tense. One step back from there is the past. Another step back is the past perfect. I don't see any logic to going back two steps. It's completely unnecessary. Plus it sounds wrong. It doesn't matter how long ago the remembered action occurred. It's just about always

Do you remember the ... that ... [past tense]?

The past perfect is a bit more likely if you're asking about a remembering that occurred in the past:

Did you remember the ... that ... [past perfect tense]?

But then how often do we ask that?

You can add "once" to either of these, but it's not necessary.

johnerI didn't give any specific time.

Hmm. I don't know exactly what you're getting at here. Specific time is irrelevant for the use of the past perfect tense. You can mention or not mention a specific time.

CJ

Johner · Answer

Hi,

I see. You recommend not to use past perfect tense except it's a part of a dependant clause. I know it's not appropriate to use present tense and past perfect tense in the same sentence. that's why I tried dividing it to two simple sentences. But unfortunately it didn't work. It doesn't work.

CalifJimMaybe it's a cultural thing, but apologizing for not being available - when you haven't previously promised to be available - doesn't seem like a typical thing for an English speaker to say, but maybe it's just me.

In fact the situation is slightly or maybe much more different. I'm mentioning that I was gone for a long time without saying a word for example to one of my close friends. So when I'm back from the mysterious journey I owe him an explanation. Since "not appearing around" describes "to dis-appear", I thought we could say this metapohrically. But my bad again, sorry. In my language we use it all the time in a casual way. Mostly as a joke or to tease somebody. e.g.: You've disappeared again. No one has seen you like for decades. I don't know maybe "lost" is the word.

Anyway I understand that using "past perfect tense" and the "disappear" in those ways are special to our culture. You've illuminated me and I'm grateful. Thank you one more time. If only in English you had one more simple word we can use instead of "thanks".

Don't you think I sound like a parrot because I say the same word over and over?

CalifJim · Answer

johnerDon't you think I sound like a parrot because I say the same word over and over?

No. Native speakers don't pay much attention to the use of high-frequency words as long as they're used grammatically.

You're welcome.

CJ

PS. Note that Sorry for my disappearing is anomalous because the immediately preceding question was How have you been? In other words, there was no convenient opening in the conversation for the speaker to bring up the fact that he had not been around (had "disappeared") or to make an excuse for it. There might be a way to restructure the whole dialog in such a way that some sort of excuse for not being in contact might be given. It's just that it doesn't work in the context you set up in that particular dialog. (It's odd how the exact order of statments in a conversation makes a big difference to how coherent they seem to an outsider.)

Johner · Answer

Hi CJ,

CalifJim Note that Sorry for my disappearing is anomalous because the immediately preceding question was How have you been?

I think I see your point. You're saying it is irrelevant and shouldn't be used in that way, maybe with some other context. OK I'll keep this in mind.

Thank you..

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