So do you think the past simple is incorrect in my first example? I don't know if that's the right way to look at it. If you add in another main clause, as done below, which clause are you meant to base your decision on? I arrived at school at 8am. And I left at 3pm. Before I went to school, I had ...

This is an explanation for the use of the past perfect, and it seems to imply the mutual relationship I've been talking of: What happened first? What happened second? First: Sam cooked dinner. Second: Carol got home. Therefore, the answer is Before Carol got home, Sam had already cooked dinner. http...

Before I went to school, I had eaten a big breakfast. But, here, the tense and aspect of the main clause is influenced by the subordinate... I don't think so. Consider the following: 1. I got up at 7am. Before I went to school, I ate a big breakfast. 2. I arrived at school at 8am. Before I went to ...

Which would you prefer? The past perfect or past simple in the main clause? It depends on the context of the main clause alone. Imagine that the sentence had read "He [had] refused to go immediately". Decide which tense would sound better there in the context of the passage as a whole, an...

http://www.englishpage.com/modals/would.html This site has only three uses for would: 1. Would" is most commonly used to create conditional verb forms. 2. It also serves as the past form of the modal verb "will." 3. Additionally, "would" can indicate repetition in the past. ...

Do you agree? It just seems too random for it to be expressing a past habit... If that were the intent, the author would (or should) have written it in a different way, even if it were simply by the addition of "often." Yea, I'd agree. Often 'would' is avoided when discussing past habits,...

What would you classify these uses of would as?

He wanted a divorce but his wife would not agree.

Yesterday morning, the car wouldn't start.

Which would you prefer? The past perfect or past simple in the main clause? It depends on the context of the main clause alone. Imagine that the sentence had read "He [had] refused to go immediately". Decide which tense would sound better there in the context of the passage as a whole, an...

The comma definitely suggests meaning (b). He saw all the pictures, then he agreed to go. (Whereas with meaning (a), he might have changed his mind and stayed.) Agree. Yes. My comments apply equally whether the main clause uses the past simple or past perfect. Which would you prefer? The past perfec...

What about:

He had refused to go, until he had seen all the pictures.

I think the choice between the past perfect and past simple in the main clause makes no difference to the meaning-- It just changes the time from in the past to the past in the past.

Would you agree?

My question: If I were not to bother showing the sense of completion conveyed by the past perfect--as in sentence d (which isn't essential as shown in the examples above), is the following sentence grammatical? He had refused to go till he saw all the pictures. It is grammatical, but you need to be...

Having found me to be an alcoholic, she did not like me and so spurned my offer. But I would attempt to warm up to her. The "would" has the future-in-the-past meaning here. That is grammatically OK, although this use is normally found in subordinate rather than main clauses. Also, it coul...

Here is another opinon on the function of 'would' in this sentence: Having found me to be an alcoholic, she did not like me and so spurned my offer. But I would attempt to warm up to her. It functions as the past of will. Past of: She's spurning my offer, but I will attempt to warm up to her. As wil...

The fifth is a sort of hybrid between a conditional (with wrong sequence of tenses) and an informal present.

Oh, those words remind me--I have a new thread regarding this. Take a look if you have the energy to read it all!

Please clarify. Is the following category the place you would put implied conditional? Opinion or hope * I would imagine that they'll buy a new one. * I suppose some people would call it torture. * I would have to agree. * I would expect him to come. * Since you ask me I'd say the blue one is best....