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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
When
Hi,
'I was walking through town the other day,when suddenly I thought about my friend Sami.I hadn't seen him for several weeks and wondered what he was doing.I took out my mobile phone, when somebody bumped into me.'Sorry,' I said.The person who had bumped into me was my friend Sami.'
1.'I took out my mobile phone, when somebody bumped into me.'
In this sentence do the two actions happen at the same time ?
2.What I know is that using the simple past in a sentence of two clauses which contains a time clause introduced by 'when'can give two meanings:the two actions happened simultaneously or one preceded the other;in that case the action in the'when'clause.
Is this correct?I need your help please.
Regards
'I was walking through town the other day,when suddenly I thought about my friend Sami.I hadn't seen him for several weeks and wondered what he was doing.I took out my mobile phone, when somebody bumped into me.'Sorry,' I said.The person who had bumped into me was my friend Sami.'
1.'I took out my mobile phone, when somebody bumped into me.'
In this sentence do the two actions happen at the same time ?
2.What I know is that using the simple past in a sentence of two clauses which contains a time clause introduced by 'when'can give two meanings:the two actions happened simultaneously or one preceded the other;in that case the action in the'when'clause.
Is this correct?I need your help please.
Regards
Top answer
I see your problem. This case is different from the ones you mention in 2. " You have to read the sentence as if that's what was written, so the bump comes second.
- I see your problem.
- This case is different from the ones you mention in 2.
- " You have to read the sentence as if that's what was written, so the bump comes second.
- One reason a writer might do what this one has done is that when you get too fussy with the verb tenses, it breaks the spontaneity.
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2 Answers
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I see your problem. This case is different from the ones you mention in 2. The writer took a small liberty in not writing "I had just taken out my mobile phone when somebody bumped into me." You have to read the sentence as if that's what was written, so the bump comes second.
One reason a writer might do what this one has done is that when you get too fussy with the verb tenses, it break
One reason a writer might do what this one has done is that when you get too fussy with the verb tenses, it break
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