David had gone to the train station

[Bassim]

I am wondering if my sentence sounds natural. Would you please correct my mistakes?

David had gone to the train station to welcome his parents, who had come for a visit to see how he was doing at university.

 

[teechar]

Does the context you have in mind call for the past perfect?

 

[Bassim]

No. The context does not call for the past perfect. I made a mistake, which I often do when I come upon similar sentences, because I somehow thought I should used the past perfect to indicate that his action preceded their arrival to the station.

 

[teechar]

David [STRIKE]had gone[/STRIKE] went to the train station to welcome his parents, who [STRIKE]had[/STRIKE] were coming for a visit to see how he was doing at university.

.

 

[jutfrank]

"come for a visit" doesn't sound very natural to me.

 

[Bassim]

What about this version about my sentence:

David went to the train station to welcome his parents, who were paying him a visit to see how he was doing at university.

 

[jutfrank]

What about this version about my sentence:

David went to the train station to welcome his parents, who were paying him a visit to see how he was doing at university.

In my opinion, that's better.

 

[emsr2d2]

"come for a visit" doesn't sound very natural to me.

I have no problem with it. That's interesting given that we're both BrE speakers.

 

[Bassim]

Could it be that you and jutfrank come from different parts of the UK?

 

[emsr2d2]

We might well do. I'm from the south-east.

 

[jutfrank]

I have no problem with it. That's interesting given that we're both BrE speakers.

Don't get me wrong. It's that I thought the whole phrase "come for a visit to see how he was doing" was just a bit too wordy to be deemed completely natural.

Bassim -- I too am from the south-east of England. It's very rare that I disagree with emsr2d2 on what sounds natural. From reading her answers on this forum, I know that we come from very similar speech communities.