when

[jiang]

Dear teachers,

Bernard had a strange feeling all that day: it was impossible to explain why, but _______ they marched through the forest he had felt that they were being followed.
a. since b. when
The key is 'b'. I agree. I can't choose 'a' because 'since' is always followed by a definite time. For example: Since I graduated from school, Since I entered the university. But in this sentence 'marched through the forest' lasted for certain time so I can't use 'since'. Is that right?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.

Jiang

[tedtmc]

You are right, 'since' needs a point in time.
The sentence could use 'since' this way:
....since they began to march through the forest....

not at teacher

[Clark]

I think it's possible that 'since they marched' indicates the cessation of the action. In that case it equals 'since they finished their march through the forest'.

[David L.]

Hang on. You're looking at the 'since' and the 'when'...but anyone notice that one of the tenses in that sentence is wrong?

[Clark]

Hang on. You're looking at the 'since' and the 'when'...but anyone notice that the tenses in that sentence are shot to hell!

You mean past simple in the since-clause for a prior action? I thought it's quite common. For instance: It occurred to him he hadn't had a proper meal since he arrived in London.

[David L.]

Yes, your sentence is correct...because it is not prefaced by another sentence in the remote Simple Past, and with the time phrase "all day".

Keep going!. Can you see what that sentence does to the perspective of these subsequent events (in the original quote)?

[Clark]

Should it be: Bernard had been having a strange feeling all day?

[David L.]

That's one possibility. But let's keep the first sentence, which to me, implies that this is in the style of the omniscient narrator.

I came, I saw, I conquered. : all simple Past, in logical sequence.

In your sentence,
"It occurred to him he hadn't had a proper meal since ..."

simple Past followed Past Perfect to place 'not having a meal' prior to, and up to the time of when 'it occurred to him'.

So - what's going on here?:
Bernard had a strange feeling all that day: it was impossible to explain why...but when they marched through the forest he had felt that they were being followed.

[Clark]

So by three dots you've split the situation into two fragments and now the sentence looks good. It seems in the place of 'but ...' we could substitute: but then he realised / became aware that since ...'

[Clark]

So - what's going on here?:
Bernard had a strange feeling all that day: it was impossible to explain why...but when they marched through the forest he had felt that they were being followed.

I guess I overlooked something very important.
'... but when they were marching through the forest he felt they were being watched'