the tense in the when-clause

[sitifan]

1. When I had put the cat out, I locked the door and went to bed.
2. *When I put the cat out, I locked the door and went to bed. (incorrect)
Source: Ting-Chi Tang, A Guide to Teaching Junior High School English, p254.
(My bold.)
3. When Dick left school, he worked for several years in a zoo.
Source: A. S. Hornby, Guide to Patterns and Usage in English, 2nd Edition. (Cited by Ting-Chi Tang in English Question Box: An Introduction to Linguistic Analysis of English, p207.)
(My bold.)
4. When Dick had left school, he worked for several years in a zoo.
Source: My own sentence.
(My bold.)
For #2 and #3, the tense in the when-clause is simple past. How come #2 is incorrect but #3 is correct? Is #4 acceptable to native speakers?

 

[5jj]

How come #2 is incorrect but #3 is correct?

I would not say that #2 was incorrect.

Is #4 acceptable to native speakers?

Most of us would not bother with the 'had'.

 

[sitifan]

I would not say that #2 was incorrect.

Would you say that #6 was incorrect?
5. When I had opened the windows, I sat down and had a cup of tea.
6. *When I opened the windows, I sat down and had a cup of tea. (incorrect)
Source: Michael Swan, Practical English Usage, 4th Edition, Section 54.1.

 

[5jj]

Would you say that #6 was incorrect?
6. *When I opened the windows, I sat down and had a cup of tea. (incorrect)
Source: Michael Swan, Practical English Usage, 4th Edition, Section 54.1.

Yes.

 

[emsr2d2]

In just about every example, the use of "When" followed by the simple past is the problem. In almost all of them, "After" would be a better choice. The exception is "When I left school". You can consider that almost a set phrase. We all know it means "After leaving school".

 

[sitifan]

7. When he arrived at the station, he found his train gone. (My bold.)
Source: https://www.google.com.tw/books/edi...his+train+gone."&pg=PA195&printsec=frontcover
8. When he had arrived at the station, he found his train gone.
Source: My own sentence.

Is #8 also acceptable?

 

[5jj]

7. When he arrived at the station, he found his train gone. (My bold.)

Possible, but more natural with ... had gone/left/departed.

8. When he had arrived at the station, he found his train gone.

Is #8 also acceptable?

No.

 

[Tarheel]

Perhaps:

When he arrived at the station the train had already left.

What is "found" supposed to do in that sentence?

 

[Tarheel]

I'm sure he meant "No" but how you make a typo on a two-letter word is beyond me.

As for what sentences are correct or incorrect, I'll be the judge of that.

You seem not to be paying attention to the posts in this thread.

 

[Tarheel]

The words "correct" and "incorrect" apply to mathematics, but I'm not so sure about language.

 

[sitifan]

I'm sure he meant "No" but how you make a typo on a two-letter word is beyond me.

Who is the "you"?

 

[Tarheel]

Who is the "you"?

It says on your profile that you're an English teacher. Surely you know that use of the word. If not, how can you teach it to anybody?

 

[emsr2d2]

Who is the "you"?

@sitifan Your question is perfectly clear and I understand why you were confused. The "you" referred to in that post can be read as "one", "he" or "5jj". Tarheel's comment was based on the fact that 5jj's original response (now corrected) had said "Mo" instead of "No. Tarheel was opining that he didn't understand how anyone could manage to make a typo in such a short word.