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Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
past perfect
I've got a few questions concerning the use of the Past Perfect tense.
1. Please, consider the following sentence: I couldn't buy that dress because I had spent all the money.
Can I express the same concept (so that the order of events remained unchanged) in the following way: I couldn't buy that dress because I spent all the money. I am intersted in two points of view: is it gramatically correct or only in spoken English (or maybe both)?
2. Can these two pairs of sentences mean the same (she didn't study, as a result she failed) or there is a difference in meaning?
a)She failed her exam. She hadn't studied enough.
b)She failed her exam. She didn't study enough.
3. How should I paraphrase this sentence: I couldn't buy that dress because I had spent all the money.
a) I had spent all the money so I couldn't buy that dress.
b) I spent all the money so I could't buy that dress.
Or maybe both of them are correct?
Thanks
1. Please, consider the following sentence: I couldn't buy that dress because I had spent all the money.
Can I express the same concept (so that the order of events remained unchanged) in the following way: I couldn't buy that dress because I spent all the money. I am intersted in two points of view: is it gramatically correct or only in spoken English (or maybe both)?
2. Can these two pairs of sentences mean the same (she didn't study, as a result she failed) or there is a difference in meaning?
a)She failed her exam. She hadn't studied enough.
b)She failed her exam. She didn't study enough.
3. How should I paraphrase this sentence: I couldn't buy that dress because I had spent all the money.
a) I had spent all the money so I couldn't buy that dress.
b) I spent all the money so I could't buy that dress.
Or maybe both of them are correct?
Thanks
Top answer
1. I couldn't buy that dress because I had spent all the money. I couldn't buy that dress because I spent all the money.
- 1.
- I couldn't buy that dress because I had spent all the money.
- I couldn't buy that dress because I spent all the money.
- -- Both are fine and carry the same meaning; tenses are often simplified in dependent clauses (vide Swan) 2/ a)She failed her exam.
- She hadn't studied enough.
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4 Answers
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1. I couldn't buy that dress because I had spent all the money.
I couldn't buy that dress because I spent all the money. -- Both are fine and carry the same meaning; tenses are often simplified in dependent clauses (vide Swan)
2/ a)She failed her exam. She hadn't studied enough.
b)She failed her exam. She didn't study enough.--- As above, they carry the
I couldn't buy that dress because I spent all the money. -- Both are fine and carry the same meaning; tenses are often simplified in dependent clauses (vide Swan)
2/ a)She failed her exam. She hadn't studied enough.
b)She failed her exam. She didn't study enough.--- As above, they carry the
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Thanks a lot.
But I've got one more question concerning the third sentence (I had spent all the money so I couldn't buy that dress). You said that Past Perfect was unnecessary. I already know that "I spent all the money so I couldn't buy..." is OK but is the underlined sentence also correct or not? How does it sound to you?
But I've got one more question concerning the third sentence (I had spent all the money so I couldn't buy that dress). You said that Past Perfect was unnecessary. I already know that "I spent all the money so I couldn't buy..." is OK but is the underlined sentence also correct or not? How does it sound to you?
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However, I think the addition of a comma would be appropriate after the word 'money'.
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