When I arrived, someone had...?

Question

Hello,could someone tell me whether the below sentence is fine and, if yes, how much this 'elipsis' is used?Thanks a lotLennyYesterday, when I arrived home, someone had stolen my car.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

It's fine by me. I see nothing unusual about it. The usage is common.

What exactly do you feel has been elipsik'd?

I suppose you could add another verb:

When I arrived home, I discovered/learned/found that someone had stolen my car.

But I think the past perfect is quite legitimate without it, since "arrived" can be taken as the required past tense reference.

Edit. I'm having second thoughts.
I suppose the use of the adverb "when" suggests that the action took place at that exact time
(in spite of the past perfect).

When I opened the door, no one was there.
vs.
When I opened the door, everyone had left.

I suppose there could be a problem here. Better get more opinions!

Dimsumexpress · Answer

DipsikYesterday, when I arrived home, someone had stolen my car.

This is my suggestion:
With the specific context, since the tone of this sentence is to describe what happened to her car when she came home, the stolen car was the subject, rather than "someone". So I would reworded it to : When I came home yesterday, I found out my car was stolen.

Gigilian Nguyen · Answer

I think it's correct,either.Because the harmony between the Past Simple Tense and the Past Perfect Tense is fine.

Mudclay · Answer

Hello! Here's my little contribution. But let's wait for the authorities.

That sentence is "past perfect".

Past perfect tense - past action before another past action./ past action before the past time

Someone had stolen my car when i arrived home yesterday.

I had eaten before you called.

I had left when you arrived last night at the party.

Let's wait for the authorities.

When I arrived, someone had...?

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