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Amir Oghlow Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Past perfect

By six o'clock this morning, she had done her work.
She hadn't yet been doing her work by six o'clock this night.

Are they correct?
  

Top answer

The first one is correct. The second one is incorrect. Possibly you mean one of these: She hadn't started her work by six o'clock this evening.

— GPY

  • The first one is correct.
  • The second one is incorrect.
  • Possibly you mean one of these: She hadn't started her work by six o'clock this evening.
  • She hadn't finished her work by six o'clock this evening.
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11 Answers
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The first one is correct. The second one is incorrect. Possibly you mean one of these:

She hadn't started her work by six o'clock this evening.
She hadn't finished her work by six o'clock this evening.
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What about these?
"When I came back home, She hadn't yet finished her work."
"She hadn't been doing her work when I came back home."
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GPYShe hadn't started her work by six o'clock this evening.She hadn't finished her work by six o'clock this evening.
Is there any difference in meaning if there would be Simple Past (didn't start; didn't finish) instead of Past Perfect in those sentences?
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Amir OghlowWhat about these?"When I came back home, She hadn't yet finished her work.""She hadn't been doing her work when I came back home."
In normal usage in everyday situation, past perfect is not used as much as believed. Especially when the context is constructed with these conjunctions and adverbs:
When
While
As (soon as)
Before
Aft
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AnonymousShe still didn't finihsed her work when I came home.
This is incorrect (even if "finished" is corrected to "finish"). At least, it does not mean the same as "hadn't finished".
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Amir Oghlow"When I came back home, she hadn't yet finished her work."
This is OK as corrected above, but "got home" or "arrived home" seems more precise. This is because "came home" suggests the journey as well as the arrival, whereas in fact you are referring just to the arrival.
Amir Oghlow"S
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GPY AnonymousShe still didn't finihsed her work when I came home.This is incorrect (even if "finished" is corrected to "finish"). At least, it does not mean the same as "hadn't finished".
Thanks, I must have a brain lapse. I only realized after I pressed the "post" key. Didn't and finished can't exist in the same sentence.
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She hadn't yet finished her work when I got home.
She still didn't finish her work when I got home.

What's the difference?
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Amir OghlowShe hadn't yet finished her work when I got home.She still didn't finish her work when I got home.What's the difference?
The second one is bad grammar.

These are good grammar and have the same meaning:

She hadn't yet finished her work when I got home.
She still hadn't finished her work when I got home.
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She hadn't yet started her work by six o'clock this evening.
Is it correct to use "yet" here?
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