It was not until...

[notletrest]

It was ---back home after the experiment.
A.not until midnight did he go ...
C.not until midnight that he went...
In the above sentence ,if we choose A. is it right?
I have met with the following one :It was not until after I came to this country did I realize that most Americans had to work hard to earn a living just like my people in myt own country.
Please give your comments on them.Thanks !

[bhaisahab]

It was ---back home after the experiment.
A.not until midnight did he go ...
C.not until midnight that he went...
In the above sentence ,if we choose A. is it right?
I have met with the following one :It was not until after I came to this country did I realize that most Americans had to work hard to earn a living just like my people in myt own country.
Please give your comments on them.Thanks !

A is incorrect, you could say "Not until midnight did he go..." It's an awkward sentence though.

[BobK]

... I have met with the following one :It was not until after I came to this country did I realize that most Americans had to work hard to earn a living just like my people in myt own country.

The implication of bhaisahab's post is that what you've heard is wrong - though it is a fairly common* mistake.

b

*PS Particularly, it seems to me , in Irish speakers (who formed a large proportion of my teachers and colleagues at school). Perhaps there's some interference from Gaelic syntax. Is that possible, bhaisahab?

[bhaisahab]

*PS Particularly, it seems to me , in Irish speakers (who formed a large proportion of my teachers and colleagues at school). Perhaps there's some interference from Gaelic syntax. Is that possible, bhaisahab?

Yes, that does seem possible. I hadn't thought of it like that.

[bhaisahab]

In fact it translates readily, almost word for word, into Irish.

[notletrest]

Thank the two eminent teachers for their reply!