past perfect + before + past simple.

[Boris Tatarenko]

Good evening,

I suppose I know the English tenses, but I'm a little bit confused:

Is it correct to say: I had bought a book before you phoned.
If it's correct I've the second question: Can we omit "before" and merely say: I had bought a book, you phoned.
I think it's correct because the past perfect refers to the first action and I don't see any reasons to use "before".

If I'm abosolutely incorrect I'll learn this thread and come back with new questions.
Thanks in advance.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Good evening,

I suppose I know the English tenses, but I'm a little bit confused:

Is it correct to say: I had bought a book before you phoned.
If it's correct I've the second question: Can we omit "before" and merely say: I had bought a book, you phoned.
I think it's correct because the past perfect refers to the first action and I don't see any reasons to use "before".

If I'm abosolutely incorrect I'll learn this thread and come back with new questions.
Thanks in advance.

You logic is pretty good, but the resulting sentence is not. It just leaves "you phoned" hanging.

You can use the past perfect in the first sentence, but the word "before" makes the simple past tense a good choice.

 

[Tdol]

If it's correct I've the second question: Can we omit "before" and merely say: I had bought a book, you phoned.
I think it's correct because the past perfect refers to the first action and I don't see any reasons to use "before".

It doesn't work for me either- how do the two connect? In speech, you could use it because you could make the connection with intonation and expression, but on paper it just looks weird.