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Taka Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Tense
I thought it was good that I had stopped smoking.
I thought it was good (for me) to have stopped smoking.
I don't think it has to be the past perfect if it has 'before' as:
I thought it was good that I stopped smoking before.
But what about the second one? Even if it had 'before' after 'smoking', would it still have to be the perfect like this?
I thought it was good (for me) to have stopped smoking before.
or it wouldn't have to be so?
I thought it was good (for me) to stop smoking before.
I thought it was good (for me) to have stopped smoking.
I don't think it has to be the past perfect if it has 'before' as:
I thought it was good that I stopped smoking before.
But what about the second one? Even if it had 'before' after 'smoking', would it still have to be the perfect like this?
I thought it was good (for me) to have stopped smoking before.
or it wouldn't have to be so?
I thought it was good (for me) to stop smoking before.
Top answer
All I can say is that the last does not sound right, so it must have to be so. 'Before' at the end of all of those does not help the consideration, since it seems a little odd there anyway. Before what?
- All I can say is that the last does not sound right, so it must have to be so.
- 'Before' at the end of all of those does not help the consideration, since it seems a little odd there anyway.
- Before what?
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5 Answers
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All I can say is that the last does not sound right, so it must have to be so. 'Before' at the end of all of those does not help the consideration, since it seems a little odd there anyway. Before what?
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Is it impossible for that adverbial 'before' to mean certain previous time as this?
No one asked me that question before.
No one asked me that question before.
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Not at all; it just doesn't help resolve your problem. No one asked me that question before implies someone just asked me that question. Is that what your 'before' implies in the smoking sentences?
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Not at all; it just doesn't help resolve your problem. No one asked me that question before implies someone just asked me that question.
Then why does the first one not have to be the past perfect with 'before' whereas the last one should have to be so?
Is that what your 'before' implies in the smoking sentences?
The situation is, a man read a book o
Then why does the first one not have to be the past perfect with 'before' whereas the last one should have to be so?
Is that what your 'before' implies in the smoking sentences?
The situation is, a man read a book o
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