[Grammar] I saw the man yesterday whom I had hit the day before yesterday.

[UM Chakma]

#1. I saw the man yesterday whom I had hit the day before yesterday.
#1. I saw the man yesterday whom I hit the day before yesterday.



Hi,
I am a bit confused about the above part. Could you please tell me which of the both is correct?

Thanks.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Both the past perfect and the simple past are correct because 'the day before yesterday' serves as a time marker.

Not a teacher.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I would get rid of the second yesterday.

Yesterday, I saw the man whom I had hit the day before.
Yesterday, I saw the man whom I hit the day before.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

You can also get rid of 'whom'.

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, UM:

May I add my two bits (humble OPINION) to all the excellent answers that you have already received?

I think that if possible, it would be better to be exact.

If you are speaking on Wednesday, for example, then you might say something like:

Yesterday, I saw the man whom I [had] hit on Monday.
Yesterday, I saw the man who I [had] hit on Monday.
Yesterday, I saw the man that I [had] hit on Monday.
Yesterday, I saw the man I [had] hit on Monday.

#1 is very formal and very correct, but I doubt that many people would use it in conversation or even in writing.
#2 is not grammatically correct, but it sounds more natural.
#3 is also grammatically correct, even though some people feel that only "who(m)" should be used for people.
#4 is probably the most natural -- and certainly the shortest.

In #1 - 4, probably the past tense is most natural in conversation, for the meaning is very clear. (If you are taking a test, however, perhaps it would be a good idea to use the past perfect.)



James

 

[MikeNewYork]

I am not a teacher.

You can also get rid of 'whom'.

In BrE, perhaps.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

It's not perhaps, it's definitely.

As far as I'm concerned, the relative pronoun can be omitted when it is the object of the verb. 'The man', and therefore 'whom', is the object of 'I hit'.

Are you saying that you can't do that in AmE?

 

[MikeNewYork]

I am saying that "whom" is still used in AmE. If you guys have decided to get rid of it, the rest of us are free to motor on.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

It's still used in BrE too. That wasn't the point.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Based on previous who/whom debates here, I probably misunderstood your comment. Yes, the relative pronoun could be eliminated.