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Hrsanei Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Past perfect

Hi.

Is there any difference between the following two sentences.

When he had eaten lunch, I came in.

When he ate lunch, I came in.

Grammatically speaking, past perfect should be used to describe an action that happened in the past before another action in the past , but the second one sounds correct to me as well.

Thanks for your help
  

Top answer

hrsanei When he had eaten lunch, I came in. When he ate lunch, I came in. When two past events can be described without the past perfect, it makes it simpler and easier for the reader.

— Dimsumexpress

  • hrsanei When he had eaten lunch, I came in.
  • When he ate lunch, I came in.
  • When two past events can be described without the past perfect, it makes it simpler and easier for the reader.
  • Your examples are understood but have that unnatural sound to it.
  • Perhaps it's my perception.
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6 Answers
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hrsaneiWhen he had eaten lunch, I came in.
When he ate lunch, I came in.

When two past events can be described without the past perfect, it makes it simpler and easier for the reader. Your examples are understood but have that unnatural sound to it. Perhaps it's my perception. I would write: He was eating lunch when I
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Hi.

Neither of your sentences is grammatically incorrect. However, the second implies that you came in while he was eating perhaps, and the first implies that he was finished eating by the time you came in.

Also, as dimsumexpress pointed out, if the intent is to say that you came in while he was eating, it might be more easily understood if it were worded differently.
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Hi.

Thank you dimsumexpress for your answer.

If I change the tense the meaning would be different too.

the common combination of past simple and past continuous indicates that one action happened in the middle of the other action. But I am talking about an action that finished in the past before another action, so past perfect should inevitably be used unless the events
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sboltonHi.Neither of your sentences is grammatically incorrect. However, the second implies that you came in while he was eating perhaps, and the first implies that he was finished eating by the time you came in.Also, as dimsumexpress pointed out, if the intent is to say that you came in while he was eating, it might be more easily understood if it were worded differently
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hrsanei,
hrsaneiIf I change the tense the meaning would be different too.
, I don't think so. In fact, it made the sentence very clear.

hrsaneiEx.2. He had eaten lunch when I came in. (He finished eating lunch before I came in)

I am not going to repeat what I said in the past post. Your description of the perfect rule
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hrsaneiWe have to use past continuous to indicate that one action happened while the other was in progress. And in my sentence, I don't have that intention.
Whether that was your intent, the event had come to past.

Mine version: He was eating lunch when he came in. Yes, the eating was going on when he came in. But remember, both acts were also complet
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