0
Vincent Teo Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

surprised to

CAn I say,

(a) We were surprised to see the children waiting us at the entrance when we reached the

orphanage.

(b) We were surprised to see the children waiting outside when we reached there.

(c) When we reached, we were surprised to see them waiting for us outside the orphanage.
  

Top answer

Vincent Teo CAn I say, (a) When we reached the orphanage, w e were surprised to see the children (already) waiting for us at the entrance. when we reached the orphanage. (b) We were surprised to see the children (already) waiting outside when we reached there .

— Hoa Thai

  • Vincent Teo CAn I say, (a) When we reached the orphanage, w e were surprised to see the children (already) waiting for us at the entrance.
  • when we reached the orphanage.
  • (b) We were surprised to see the children (already) waiting outside when we reached there .
  • 1) Shift the 'when' clause to the starting position as shown earlier.
  • 2) You need to qualify the word 'there' with extra context before you can use it.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

3 Answers
0
Vincent TeoCAn I say,

(a) When we reached the orphanage, we were surprised to see the children (already) waiting for us at the entrance. when we reached the

orphanage.

(b) We were surprised to see the children (alr
0
0
Why should we put the "when" clause in front? Can I put "when" clause like sentence (a)? IS there any rules to follow?
0
0
Vincent TeoWhy should we put the "when" clause in front? Can I put "when" clause like sentence (a)? IS there any rules to follow?
Hi,

There is no rule. It is more about flow.
With a well formed main clause, when we reach its end, we often mentally stop. If we put a ‘when’ clause there, we must read on to grab the full context of the enti
0

Related Questions