|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > past perfect or past simple with the adverb "before"
past perfect or past simple with the adverb "before"
|
Ruwayda37
|
past perfect or past simple with the adverb "before"
|
|
Hello dear colleagues, Could you clarify which sentence is correct and why or if both of them are correct: 1. I didn �t see him before. 2. I hadn �t seen him before. Thank you |
9 Mar 2016
|
|
|
|
yanogator
|
|
The first isn �t correct because simple past is for a specific time, and "before" is a general time. The second is correct in specific contexts. Remember that past perfect is for something that happened before something else in the past. I didn �t know that was her husband because I hadn �t seen him before. The man didn �t look familiar because I hadn �t seen him before. A: Why didn �t you invite my cousin in when he came to the door? B: Oh, was that your cousin? I hadn �t seen him before. Bruce |
9 Mar 2016
|
|
|
Ruwayda37
|
|
Thanks a lot for your clarification. I understand now but I wonder why this example "He didn �t like tomatoes before" was written here http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepast.html Thanks a lot |
9 Mar 2016
|
|
|
yanogator
|
|
Simple past with "before" is sometimes used to mean "used to". He didn �t like tomatoes before" means "He didn �t use to like tomatoes" Since you can �t say "I didn �t use to see him", you also can �t say "I didn �t see him before". Oh, but while writing that, I thought of another use of "before". We can say, "I was surprised to find out how long Joe had been at the party, because I didn �t see him before". Bruce |
9 Mar 2016
|
|
|
Ruwayda37
|
|
I see! Thanks a lot for your explicit clarification and the time and effort you took to help me. |
9 Mar 2016
|
|
|
marzouga
|
|
I think simple past is more correct cos, to use past perfect we need to refer to the action that comes after.i hadn �t seen him before (something happened ).so, since there is no reference, we can use simple past which means here:i didn �t see him before now.
|
10 Mar 2016
|
|
|
douglas
|
|
Definitely past perfect here.
"i didn ´t see him before (now). " is referring to a time before something else in the past (now=I just saw him); therefore, past perfect applies. |
11 Mar 2016
|
|
|
Ruwayda37
|
|
Thanks everyone for your help. |
11 Mar 2016
|
|
|
