[Grammar] It was not until...

[notletrest]

[FONT=&#23435] It was ---back home after the experiment.[/FONT]
[FONT=&#23435]A.not until midnight did he go ...[/FONT]
[FONT=&#23435]C.not until midnight that he went...[/FONT]
[FONT=&#23435]In the above sentence ,if we choose A. is it right? [/FONT]
[FONT=&#23435] I have met with the following one :[/FONT][FONT=&#23435]It was not until after I came to this country did I realize that most Americans had to work hard to earn a living just like my people in myt own country.[/FONT]
[FONT=&#23435]Please give your comments on them.Thanks ![/FONT]

 

[bhaisahab]

[FONT=&#23435] It was ---back home after the experiment.[/FONT]
[FONT=&#23435]A.not until midnight did he go ...[/FONT]
[FONT=&#23435]C.not until midnight that he went...[/FONT]
[FONT=&#23435]In the above sentence ,if we choose A. is it right? [/FONT]
[FONT=&#23435] I have met with the following one :[/FONT][FONT=&#23435]It was not until after I came to this country did I realize that most Americans had to work hard to earn a living just like my people in myt own country.[/FONT]
[FONT=&#23435]Please give your comments on them.Thanks ![/FONT]

A is incorrect, you could say "Not until midnight did he go..." It's an awkward sentence though.

 

[BobK]

:up:

[FONT=宋]... I have met with the following one :[/FONT][FONT=宋]It was not until after I came to this country did I realize that most Americans had to work hard to earn a living just like my people in myt own country.:cross:[/FONT]

The implication of bhaisahab's post is that what you've heard is wrong - though it is a fairly common* mistake.

b

*PS Particularly, it seems to me , in Irish speakers (who formed a large proportion of my teachers and colleagues at school). Perhaps there's some interference from Gaelic syntax. Is that possible, bhaisahab?

 

[bhaisahab]

:up:



*PS Particularly, it seems to me , in Irish speakers (who formed a large proportion of my teachers and colleagues at school). Perhaps there's some interference from Gaelic syntax. Is that possible, bhaisahab?

Yes, that does seem possible. I hadn't thought of it like that.

 

[bhaisahab]

In fact it translates readily, almost word for word, into Irish.

 

[notletrest]

Thank the two eminent teachers for their reply!