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Old 04-Apr-2007, 05:17
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Default Is this sentence wrong?

"We rushed home before the rain began."

I know the right answer is rushed but I can't explain it.

A student asked me why the following was wrong:

"We had rushed home before the rain began."

To be quite honest, it doesn't sound very good but I can't really why it's wrong.

Is it because rushed here must be used in the simple past form because we are talking about something that began and ended in the past?

Why wouldn't the past perfect be an acceptable answer?
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Old 04-Apr-2007, 06:04
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Default Re: Is this sentence wrong?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Noego View Post
"We rushed home before the rain began."

I know the right answer is rushed but I can't explain it.

A student asked me why the following was wrong:

"We had rushed home before the rain began."

To be quite honest, it doesn't sound very good but I can't really why it's wrong.

Is it because rushed here must be used in the simple past form because we are talking about something that began and ended in the past?

Why wouldn't the past perfect be an acceptable answer?
The use of past perfect is correct but so is the use of simple past because the conjunction makes clear the sequence of events .
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Old 04-Apr-2007, 06:12
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Default Re: Is this sentence wrong?

I see, so they're both good. Just as I thought. Thanks Svartnik.

Would one be considered "better" than the other however?
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