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Thfihe Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
identifying verbal phrases and inversion
Hello,
I'd like you to help me identify the structure of the sentence below.
Yesterday, the thief had left when the police arrived.
(Intended meaning: Before 'Yesterday', the thief left, and it was at the time the police arrived.)
In this sentence, I think the when-clause is included in the verbal phrase. If my assumption is correct, then the when-clause also should be the target of inversion, as below.
Yesterday, left when the police arrived the thief had.
Is this inversion possible?
Thank you in advance.
I'd like you to help me identify the structure of the sentence below.
Yesterday, the thief had left when the police arrived.
(Intended meaning: Before 'Yesterday', the thief left, and it was at the time the police arrived.)
In this sentence, I think the when-clause is included in the verbal phrase. If my assumption is correct, then the when-clause also should be the target of inversion, as below.
Yesterday, left when the police arrived the thief had.
Is this inversion possible?
Thank you in advance.
Top answer
thfihe Is this inversion possible? No. This sentence is jumbled.
- thfihe Is this inversion possible?
- No.
- This sentence is jumbled.
- Yesterday, left when the police arrived the thief had.
- And the original should be: Yesterday, the thief left when the police arrived.
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7 Answers
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thfiheIs this inversion possible?No.
This sentence is jumbled.
Yesterday, left when the police arrived the thief had.
And the original should be:
Yesterday, the thief left when the police arrived.
You can make some cleft versions:
It was yesterday when the thief left as the police arrived.
It was the thief who left a
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Thank you for your reply.
It seems to me that your "Yesterday, the thief left when the police arrived." is different from my original one "Yesterday, the thief had left when the police arrived.", because "yesterday " in your sentence is the same time where the thief's leaving occured, while mine is not.
For the purpose of expressing the thief's leaving is before "yesterday", is my o
It seems to me that your "Yesterday, the thief left when the police arrived." is different from my original one "Yesterday, the thief had left when the police arrived.", because "yesterday " in your sentence is the same time where the thief's leaving occured, while mine is not.
For the purpose of expressing the thief's leaving is before "yesterday", is my o
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thfiheFor the purpose of expressing the thief's leaving is before "yesterday", is my original sentence appropriate or not?Yes, but it would be more natural with 'yesterday' at the end of the sentence, in my opinion.
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Thank you for reply.
Then, the sentence should be,
The thief had left when the police arrived yesterday.
Does it need a comma between "arrived" and "yesterday"?
Then, the sentence should be,
The thief had left when the police arrived yesterday.
Does it need a comma between "arrived" and "yesterday"?
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Interpreting the thief's leaving doesn't occur "yesterday" is the inverted sentence still odd for you?
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thfiheDoes it need a comma between "arrived" and "yesterday"?No.
thfiheThe thief had left when the police arrived yesterday.If the time the thief left was before the the time when police arrived, then you need this:
The thief had left before the police arrived yesterday.
The thief had
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