bought vs had bought

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Originally Posted by Nathan Mckane

yes, I do. For example : I had finished cleaning the room when he came in.

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Quite. Actually my message was code for: If we knew your native language, or the language you know best, many of us would be more confident in answering your questions, since such knowledge often gives a teacher an idea about why you are asking, and why it is you are having trouble with a certain concept.
Many of the teachers here are bilingual, at least to some extent. Others have a good idea how the various L1s contribute to specific misunderstandings in English.

Anyhow, this message is not specific to you; it applies to all members who decide not to reveal their first language. That is your right, of course. There may be good reasons why you don't want us to know. But it is very useful information for some teachers.

By the way, the example you gave was in English, so it's not really an example of the past perfect in your native language, unless your native language is English. (Not that I actually asked for an example).

Wait a second! there's something I don't understand.

You pay and buy the tickets at the same time. There's no action that happened before another action. So, what's the problem with that sentence?

I don't feel good all day but the more I think about it the more confused I am. :roll:

EDIT: Oops. I didn't see page 2 when I wrote this. Fighting Spirit is completely right!

Actually, in your example the buying and the paying took place at the same time. There is no event before another event.

The past perfect is really only needed when you can't tell which came first. In your last example, you can't tell if the cleaning was done before the arrival if you just say "I finished cleaning when he came." It actually sounds like he came and then you finished.

When you have markers like before, after, since, etc. that make it clear what the order was, you (generally) don't need the past perfect.

Ok, I think I dont have any other way except to provide you with the original context.

On a recent flight Laura was chatting happily with the woman in the next seat-until the conversation turned to fares.The woman, who bought her ticket two months in advance, paid 100 dollars. Laura paid the full fair of 457 dollars.She decided that next time she would find out how to travel for less.

I think it is clear that the woman in the next seat had bought the ticket two months before paying the fair. So ...........

It's fine in simple past. I also would have been fine if you had used the past perfect.

Why would you not simply give us the original and full context to start with?

That is the whole context. Don't you think it is enough?

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Originally Posted by emsr2d2

What earlier example? That was my first post in this thread.

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oh sorry

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Originally Posted by emsr2d2

"In advance" is taken to mean a period of time before the thing being spoken about happens.

I bought my train ticket 24 hours in advance - it isn't necessary to say "24 hours in advance of the time that the train was due to leave". It is simply understood that it means that.

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Thanks

But i was replying to a confusion about past perfect.I meant to say that we cant use say ' I had bought the ticket in advance' please guide

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Originally Posted by Nathan Mckane

That is the whole context. Don't you think it is enough?

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It is now. If you had posted that entire paragraph in the beginning it would have been helpful.

Sentences in isolation, especially when talking about tenses, can make it hard to give good answers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nathan Mckane

Ok, I think I dont have any other way except to provide you with the original context.

On a recent flight Laura was chatting happily with the woman in the next seat-until the conversation turned to fares.The woman, who bought her ticket two months in advance, paid 100 dollars. Laura paid the full fair of 457 dollars.She decided that next time she would find out how to travel for less.

I think it is clear that the woman in the next seat had bought the ticket two months before paying the fair. So ...........

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I'm a bit confused by that sentence. What do you mean by "she bought the ticket two months before paying the fare"?

When you buy a ticket, you pay the fare. It's the same thing. In order to buy something, you pay for it.

The woman in question bought her ticket two months before taking the flight; two months before getting on the plane.