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Norwolf Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Have picked?
Hello, teachers.
Here is a question:
In this dialog, which way do we say it?
-----Hello, Miss Libra. You say my aunt and uncle have already arrived.
1#------Yes. I picked them up at the station half an hour before.
2#------Yes. I have picked them up at the station half an hour before.
3#------Yes. I had picked them up at the station half an hour before.
I think 2# is wrong. Right?
Thank you in advance.
Here is a question:
In this dialog, which way do we say it?
-----Hello, Miss Libra. You say my aunt and uncle have already arrived.
1#------Yes. I picked them up at the station half an hour before.
2#------Yes. I have picked them up at the station half an hour before.
3#------Yes. I had picked them up at the station half an hour before.
I think 2# is wrong. Right?
Thank you in advance.
Top answer
Do you intend "before" to mean "ago"? In other words, do you intend "half an hour before" to mean "half an hour before now "?
- Do you intend "before" to mean "ago"?
- In other words, do you intend "half an hour before" to mean "half an hour before now "?
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9 Answers
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Do you intend "before" to mean "ago"? In other words, do you intend "half an hour before" to mean "half an hour before now"?
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Mr WordyDo you intend "before" to mean "ago"? In other words, do you intend "half an hour before" to mean "half an hour before now"?Yes. Because I don't think before works there and I found it goes with the past tense or the past perfect.
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norwolfThis is a non-standard use of "before". Some English dialects may use "before" like this, but I don't, so none of your sentences sound right to me in the way youMr WordyDo you intend "before" to mean "ago"? In other words, do you intend "half an hour before" to mean "half an hour before now"?Yes.
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norwolf
Yes. Because I don't think the present perfect works there and I found before goes with the past tense or the past perfect in such sentences.
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norwolfForgive me, I didn't understand your second sentence. It seemed contradictory, so I ignored it.
Yes. Because I don't think before works there and I found it goes with the past tense or the past perfect in such sentences.
If "before" has its standard meaning, then #1 and #3 may be correct in other contexts. However, they do
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Mr WordynorwolfThis is a non-standard use of "before". Some English dialects may use "before" like this, but I don't, so none of your sentMr WordyDo you intend "before" to mean "ago"? In other words, do you intend "half an hour before" to mean "half an hour before now"?
Yes.
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Mr WordynorwolfForgive me, I didn't understand your second sentence. It seemed contradictory, so I ignored it.
Yes. Because I don't think before works there and I found it goes with the past tense or the past perfect in such sentences.
If "before" has its standard meaning, then #1 and #3 may be correct i
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norwolfAs a reply to "You say my aunt and uncle have already arrived", with "before" having the sense of "ago", this is a conversational and idiomatic usage of "before" that some native speakers might adopt. It is not, as I say, stan
In some informal way, we could say Yes. I picked them up at the station half an hour before. Right?
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Mr WordynorwolfAs a reply to "You say my aunt and uncle have already arrived", with "before" having the sense of "ago", this is a conversational and idiomatic usage of "before" that some native speakers might
In some informal way, we could say Yes. I picked them up at the station half an hour before. Right?
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