Two months ago, after graduated from high school ...

[sitifan]

1. Two months ago, after graduating from high school, I was given a gold watch by my grandfather.
2. Two months ago, after graduated from high school, I got a gold watch from my grandfather.
(quoted from Ho's Complete English Grammar, Book V, page 66)
#1 is supposed to be correct. #2 sounds odd to me. Is #2 acceptable to native speakers?

 

[Rover_KE]

No, it isn't. It's another example of Ho's misinformation.

 

[Tarheel]

For #2, you need to say:

Two months ago, after I graduated from high school....

 

[sitifan]

For #2, you need to say:

Two months ago, after I graduated from high school....

I was taught that "I was graduated from high school" is also possible in American English.

 

[Tarheel]

@sitifan I have never heard anybody say it that way.

I suppose I could talk to my usage consultant.

 

[5jj]

I was taught that "I was graduated from high school" is also possible in American English.

I can't speak for AmE, but it is certainly not possible in BrE.

 

[sitifan]

@sitifan I have never heard anybody say it that way.

I suppose I could talk to my usage consultant.

What to Know
"I graduated from college" is the most accepted use of graduate in this context. You can also say "I graduated college" or "I was graduated from college." Both are frequently used, but to some people they are considered incorrect.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/graduated-or-was-graduated

 

[jutfrank]

2. Two months ago, after graduated from high school, I got a gold watch from my grandfather.
(quoted from Ho's Complete English Grammar, Book V, page 66)

Are we really to believe that Mr Ho is presenting this as a grammatically correct sentence? That's what you seem to be implying here. Are you sure you haven't made a mistake in transcription?

 

[sitifan]

Are we really to believe that Mr Ho is presenting this as a grammatically correct sentence? That's what you seem to be implying here. Are you sure you haven't made a mistake in transcription?

I am sure I haven't made a mistake in transcription.
Mr. Ho's analysis is as follows:
1. Two months ago, after graduating from high school (=after he graduated from high school), I was given a gold watch by my grandfather.
2. Two months ago, after graduated from high school (=after he was graduated from high school), I got a gold watch from my grandfather.
(quoted from Ho's Complete English Grammar, Book V, page 66)
Mr. Ho thinks that the conjunctions when, after, and before can be followed by either a present participle or a past participle. But I think that the conjunctions after, and before cannot be followed by either a present participle or a past participle.

 

[emsr2d2]

I am sure I haven't made a mistake in transcription.
Mr. Ho's analysis is as follows:
1. Two months ago, after graduating from high school (=after he graduated from high school), I was given a gold watch by my grandfather.
2. Two months ago, after graduated from high school (=after he was graduated from high school), I got a gold watch from my grandfather.
(quoted from Ho's Complete English Grammar, Book V, page 66)
Mr. Ho thinks that the conjunctions when, after, and before can be followed by either a present participle or a past participle. But I think that the conjunctions after, and before cannot be followed by either a present participle or a past participle.

Mr Ho is wrong, at least about that particular sentence. "After graduated" cannot be used.

 

[jutfrank]

It's very hard for me to believe that Mr Ho could be so wrong and still manage to get a book published.

 

[jutfrank]

But I think that the conjunctions after, and before cannot be followed by either a present participle or a past participle.

You can follow with a present participle (gerund), yes. Sentence #1 is perfectly correct. If you think of after/when/before as prepositions, then you can follow the rule: preposition + -ing.

But you can't follow with a past participle. The exception is with 'when', which can:

Two months ago, when graduated from high school, I got a gold watch from my grandfather.

I don't like this sentence, but it's grammatical.

 

[Tarheel]

@sitifan My usage consultant doesn't charge me anything. It works out well for me.

 

[BobK]

Is Ho a speaker of Mandarin? I think that might explain his uncertainty about participles. 2 would be OK.
' Two months ago, after graduating from high school, I got a gold watch from my grandfather.'
(Some mavens might prefer 'after having graduated', but the context makes it clear that the action is perfect.)

 

[BobK]

PS I've often heard this odd usage of the past participle in otherwise competent speakers. Perhaps they're all victims of Ho's advice

 

[sitifan]

Is Ho a speaker of Mandarin?

Yes, he is a native speaker of Mandarin and a retired English teacher.

 

[jutfrank]

PS I've often heard this odd usage of the past participle in otherwise competent speakers.

Are you referring to usage with a past participle after 'after'? I'd love to see an authentic (and non-Hoian) example of use.