past perfect with when

Question

Hello clever teacherI had been working in the garden for an hour when I heard the phone ring. It  was Jamie. He was driving down to London on business. I had gone out in the garden when he left ,so he had only been gone an hour. I knew he had some problem.My question : why  " left" ? To me all the verbs in the last sentence  "had gone out", "left" and " had been gone happen before I heard the phone. So all should be in past perfectI know sometimes with since you don't use past perfect:I saw  Peter yesterday, I hadn't seen h for a while since he left for Germany. " Since "in that case  indicates the beginning of the action.But when is not since and in the fourth sentence of my text , first I went out in the garden then Jamie  left.Thanks for your answer

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

AnonymousMy question : why " left" ?

Only the verb of the independent clause need take the past perfect; subordinate clauses need only the simple past.

Anonymous · Answer

thanks

In fact that is whart I thought

Anonymous · Answer

So it is the same with since ?

I saw Peter yesterday ,I had not seen him for a long time since we left Germany . Only the principal clause takes past perfect, doesn't it .The same rule apply for since and when

thanks

Mister Micawber · Answer

AnonymousSo it is the same with since.

Yes.

Anonymous · Answer

If the author had been written " had left" instead "left", would have made any changes in the meaning of the text and would have been correct grammatically speaking

thanks for your answer

Mister Micawber · Answer

AnonymousIf the author had been written " had left" instead "left", would have made any changes in the meaning of the text

No.

Anonymousand would have been correct grammatically speaking

No, not really—at least not native.

past perfect with when

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