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Navitasan Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Two times ago
Which are correct:
1-You did that on the third occasion before this one.
2-You did that the third time before this one.
3-You did that three times ago.
If '3' is correct, how can it be backshifted?
4-You had done that three times before.
Doesn't that mean something else? It could mean you already done it on three occasions before.
Is '4' ambiguous? Could it be the backshifted version of '3'?
Gratefully,
Navi.
1-You did that on the third occasion before this one.
2-You did that the third time before this one.
3-You did that three times ago.
If '3' is correct, how can it be backshifted?
4-You had done that three times before.
Doesn't that mean something else? It could mean you already done it on three occasions before.
Is '4' ambiguous? Could it be the backshifted version of '3'?
Gratefully,
Navi.
Top answer
" This sounds fine, but it would most likely imply "This is/will be your fourth time doing that/You've already done it three times" (focusing on how many times you've done it so far). I find the other sentences a little unsatisfactory (especially the second one). I suppose that "three times ago" is passable informally, but "time/times" is not really a proper unit of measurement.
- " This sounds fine, but it would most likely imply "This is/will be your fourth time doing that/You've already done it three times" (focusing on how many times you've done it so far).
- I find the other sentences a little unsatisfactory (especially the second one).
- I suppose that "three times ago" is passable informally, but "time/times" is not really a proper unit of measurement.
- It could work in the appropriate context, though.
- " I think that, on closer inspection, #1 and #2 don't necessarily convey your intended meaning.
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5 Answers
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"You had done that three times before" actually looks like a past version of "You have done that three times before." This sounds fine, but it would most likely imply "This is/will be your fourth time doing that/You've already done it three times" (focusing on how many times you've done it so far).
I find the other sentences a little unsatisfactory (especially the second one). I suppose t
I find the other sentences a little unsatisfactory (especially the second one). I suppose t
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navitasan1-You did that on the third occasion before this one.2-You did that the third time before this one.3-You did that three times ago.None of them seems natural to me. I am not sure what you are trying to say.
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I agree that they are all rather tortuous, but #3 comes closest to what I assume is the intended meaning.
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Thank you both very very much.
They are supposed to say,
You did that not last time, not the time before last time, but the time before that one.
It is like: You did that last time.
but instead of going back one time, you have to go back two more times.
Gratefully,
Navi.
They are supposed to say,
You did that not last time, not the time before last time, but the time before that one.
It is like: You did that last time.
but instead of going back one time, you have to go back two more times.
Gratefully,
Navi.
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I can't think of a succinct way to express that. "I did that the time before last" is about as far back as I can go. "I did that three times ago" sort of works, if the context makes the meaning clear.
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