Canada

[whl626]

" I came to Canada not long ago then. "

Is this a correct sentence if what I mean is during that particular time I was in Canada I had been in Canada for some time ?

Thanks in advance

 

[MikeNewYork]

" I came to Canada not long ago then. "

Is this a correct sentence if what I mean is during that particular time I was in Canada I had been in Canada for some time ?

Thanks in advance

Depending on how long you had been in Canada:

At that time, I had been in Canada for a long time/for a short time.

 

[whl626]

It is a correct sentence then. Thanks

 

[MikeNewYork]

It is a correct sentence then. Thanks

I would not use your original sentence. The structure of it is a bit confusing. :wink:

 

[RonBee]

"I came to Canada not long ago" makes sense without the "then" at the end. Mike's suggestion is a good one.

 

[MikeNewYork]

"I came to Canada not long ago" makes sense without the "then" at the end. Mike's suggestion is a good one.

:wink:

 

[whl626]

The dialogue is such that two people talked about Canada about Canada at a particular time in the past. And one told the other that he came to Canada not long ago at that particular time. So to substitute the ' at that particular time ' with ' then ' is not appropriate ?

Thanks in advance

 

[Tdol]

I'd definitely change the tense to the past perfect to show a distinction between the two times, but even then I'm not too happy with the use of 'then'. ;-)

 

[MikeNewYork]

The dialogue is such that two people talked about Canada about Canada at a particular time in the past. And one told the other that he came to Canada not long ago at that particular time. So to substitute the ' at that particular time ' with ' then ' is not appropriate ?

Thanks in advance

The problem is that "not long ago" refers to time backward from the present, not the past. It would be like saying, "I arrived yesterday then."

 

[whl626]

I see

 

[RonBee]

Say something like:

• I had arrived in Canada not long before then.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I see

:wink: