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Guren Firippu Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

PAST PERFECT

Is this sentence correct? He left before his shift had ended.
  

Top answer

He had left before his shift ended. The past perfect can be thought of as a previous past. He did the leaving before the shift ended, so leaving would be in the past perfect.

— Englishmaven

  • He had left before his shift ended.
  • The past perfect can be thought of as a previous past.
  • He did the leaving before the shift ended, so leaving would be in the past perfect.
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6 Answers
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He had left before his shift ended.

The past perfect can be thought of as a previous past. He did the leaving before the shift ended, so leaving would be in the past perfect.
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We'd commonly say
eg He left before his shift ended.
The word 'before' makes the sequence of events clear.
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Guren FirippuIs this sentence correct? He left before his shift had ended.
It's not very logical, but it's acceptable
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Guren FirippuIs this sentence correct? He left before his shift had ended.
It is correct. "before" clauses with the past perfect are used to indicate unexpected non-completion, an interruption in the normally expected course of events. However, a pattern with both clauses in the simple past is just as good or better in many cases.

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Thank you everyone. This clarifies, I guess, everything. I am more confident to say, "He left before his shift ended". However, I remember being taught here about using the present perfect tense after prepositions until, as soon as, before, after, and so on is accepted and grammatical. Like for example, "I will leave the office as
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Yes. I was actually referring to an unexpected non-completion of a task. So, I think, this best explains my sentence. Thank you!

-GF
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