[Grammar] When I´ve seen them

[camomilabarbieri]

Hello.

Yesterday our teacher brought us a listening exercise in which the speaker said:

"I arranged to meet someone here. But I´ll come back when I've seen them".

He asked us if there was anything wrong with the sentence and highlighted the wrong usage of the Present Perfect. Is it really wrong? Why?

Thank you for your time.

 

[5jj]

"I arranged to meet someone here. But I´ll come back when I've seen them".

The sentence makes little sense as it stands. If the speaker arranged to meet a person here, then there can be no coming back; there is no going away.

 

[Academic Writing]

I agree with 5jj. Also, I find the use of but confusing, and "them" does not agree with "someone."

 

[emsr2d2]

It doesn't appear to make sense but I would have to say it depends on the rest of the conversation. It might be possible in the following scenario:

Paul is standing outside a shoe shop. His friend John, who happens to be passing, spots him and stops for a chat.
John: Hi Paul! I haven't seen you for ages. Do you fancy going for a drink.
Paul: I can't. I've arranged to meet a friend here. But I'll come back when I've seen them.
John: OK, how long do you think you'll be?
Paul: Only about an hour. We're just going for a coffee and a chat.
John: OK, I'll come back here in an hour and meet you and we'll go to a bar.

Yes, I made it up. Yes, it's a bit of a stretch. "When I've seen them" means "When I've met them and finished our pre-arranged activity".

If the context doesn't match that, then I can't come up with a reasonable explanation for the quoted sentence.

 

[5jj]

. It might be possible in the following scenario

Respect! :up:

ps. For those who may be in doubt: I am not mocking ems. I was unable to come up with a convincing context for the words we are considering. Ems has managed it. The fact that "it's a bit of a stretch" is irrelevant. It is a possible context.

 

[Tdol]

"them" does not agree with "someone."

I honestly see no problem with using someone...them when we don't know or use the gender.

 

[Tdol]

Respect! :up:

ps. For those who may be in doubt: I am not mocking ems. I was unable to come up with a convincing context for the words we are considering. Ems has managed it. The fact that "it's a bit of a stretch" is irrelevant. It is a possible context.

It could also work if the person were out and speaking on the telephone to someone at their office.

 

[5jj]

I honestly see no problem with using someone...them when we don't know or use the gender.

It was taboo when I and my classmate Noah were at school, but it is now pretty well accepted in BrE. I doubt if any (British) examining body would penalise it these days.

 

[emsr2d2]

It was taboo when I and my classmate Noah were at school, but it is now pretty well accepted in BrE. I doubt if any (British) examining body would penalise it these days.

Just as I was about to post it, I nearly went back and changed it to "I've arranged to meet some friends here" but that wasn't what the original said. I think (educationally) I was on the cusp of the "them" singular issue. I always spot the potential ambiguity but I use it without really thinking about it too.