before she had finished/finished

[ROFTOK]

1 Jane went to the zoo before she had finished reading her new book about elephants.
2 Jane went to the zoo before she finished reading her new book about elephants.

Is there any difference in meaning between the two?
Did she finish reading the book or is it not stated explicitly?

 

[Holmes]

1 Jane went to the zoo before she had finished reading her new book about elephants.
2 Jane went to the zoo before she finished reading her new book about elephants.

Is there any difference in meaning between the two?
Did she finish reading the book or is it not stated explicitly?

Both (1) and (2) can mean that she had not finished the book when she went to the zoo.

Sentence (2) can alternatively mean that she went to the zoo and subsequently finished the book.

That she finished the book is explicitly stated only on that alternate reading of (2).

 

[tedmc]

I don't see the need to use the past perfect tense when the past tense does the job.

I don't see how "before she finished" implies whether she did subsequently finished reading the book.

 

[Holmes]

I don't see how "before she finished" implies whether she did subsequently finished reading the book.

What did you do before you replied?

 

[zeco4444]

What happened first?
Going to the zoo was first

Jane had gone to the zoo before she finished reading her new book about elephants.
Jane went to the zoo before she finished reading her new book about elephants.
Jane had gone to the zoo before finishing reading her new book about elephants.
Jane went to the zoo before finishing reading her new book about elephants.

 

[Tdol]

I don't see the need to use the past perfect tense when the past tense does the job.

A pragmatic approach.

 

[Tarheel]

What happened first was she was reading the book. Before she finished reading the book she went to the zoo. She left the book at home. She's hasn't gotten back yet, so she hasn't finished the book.

That's one possibility. It's also possible that she finished the book later.