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Enchanted Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

When I had left

When I had left, she was a little girl.

I have never met a sentence like this before, or I didnt know. it sounds to me it is not a right sentence. My understanding is that after the word when, it should be a past tensed verb, like, when I left. What is the significence here to use had left, instead of left?

thanks,
ench
  

Top answer

The sentence is obviously taken out of context. As a stand-alone sentence, the use of "had" makes no sense. But if you are already useing the past perfect to refer to this same time frame (in a previous sentence) you may continue to do so.

— Avangi

  • The sentence is obviously taken out of context.
  • As a stand-alone sentence, the use of "had" makes no sense.
  • But if you are already useing the past perfect to refer to this same time frame (in a previous sentence) you may continue to do so.
  • Others may disagree.
  • Surely, you would not be required to do so, and it would be better not to.
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3 Answers
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The sentence is obviously taken out of context. As a stand-alone sentence, the use of "had" makes no sense.
But if you are already useing the past perfect to refer to this same time frame (in a previous sentence) you may continue to do so. Others may disagree. Surely, you would not be required to do so, and it would be better not to.

If it's an example of a p
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" As a stand-alone sentence, the use of "had" makes no sense."

I agree. It looks like somebody put 'had' in there by mistake.

When I left she was a little girl.
When I returned she was a woman.

If this is the sort of thing being described, 'had left' is incorrect.
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thanks both.
There was no verb context of this sentence. This is from a movie, when a guy was talking on a back ground. There was only a sentence behind it.

and a woman had taken her place.
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