Not until .. that

[Anna232]

This exercise is from CPE Use of English. By Virginia Evans The sentences must be connected. Could you tell me if I connected them correctly?

1. He saw the film. He understood the point of the book. (Not until.. that)
Not until he saw/had seen the film that he understood the point of the book.
2. The tour guide waited for everyone to arrive. The coach departed for the museum. (Until.. before..)
Not until the tour guide waited for everyone to arrive thart the coach departed for the museum.
3. She tried on several dresses. She decided which one to buy. (Not... until)
She hadn't decided which dress to buy until she tried on several dresses.

 

[emsr2d2]

1. It was not until he had seen the film that he understood the point of the book.
3. Not until she had tried on several dresses did she decide which one to buy.

I can't make a sentence out of #2 using both "until" and "before".

 

[Anna232]

1. It was not until he had seen the film that he understood the point of the book.
3. Not until she had tried on several dresses did she decide which one to buy.

I can't make a sentence out of #2 using both "until" and "before".

Sorry, are 1 and 3 correct? or should I cross them out as wrong?
1. Not until he saw/had seen the film that he understood the point of the book.

My version of #2 must be wrong.
Not until the tour guide waited for everyone to arrive thart the coach departed for the museum.

3. She hadn't decided which dress to buy until she tried on several dresses.

 

[emsr2d2]

Sorry, are 1 and 3 correct no question mark here or should I cross them out as wrong?

See above.

1. Not until he saw/had seen the film that he understood the point of the book.

That's wrong. You can't use "that" if you start with just "Not until". If you add "It was" before "not until", it works. Both "saw" and "had seen" would work.

My version of #2 must be wrong.
Not until the tour guide waited for everyone to arrive that the coach departed for the museum.

That's wrong. If you add "It was" before "not until", it's possible. However, the instruction said to use "until" and "before". I still can't come up with a grammatical sentence that includes both words.

3. She hadn't decided which dress to buy until she had tried on several dresses.

With the addition of the word in red above, it's grammatically correct. I suppose using "hadn't" fulfils the criterion to use "not" and "until".

 

[Anna232]

See above.

That's wrong. You can't use "that" if you start with just "Not until". If you add "It was" before "not until", it works. Both "saw" and "had seen" would work.

That's wrong. If you add "It was" before "not until", it's possible. However, the instruction said to use "until" and "before". I still can't come up with a grammatical sentence that includes both words.

With the addition of the word in red above, it's grammatically correct. I suppose using "hadn't" fulfils the criterion to use "not" and "until".

I wrote them again. I can use past simple in both instead of past perfect, can't I? Could you tell me if my sentences are correct now?

A: "It was not until the tour guide had waited/waited for everyone to arrive that the coach departed for the museum.
B: "Not until the tour guide had waited/ waited for everyone to arrive did the coach depart for the museum."

 

[emsr2d2]

A: "It was not until the tour guide had waited/waited for everyone to arrive that the coach departed for the museum.
B: "Not until the tour guide had waited/waited for everyone to arrive did the coach depart for the museum."

My preference is for the past perfect in both. However, the tour guide "waiting" for people to arrive doesn't really make any difference to the coach driver's decision to leave. It would make more sense to say that he/she didn't drive away until the tour guide had checked that everyone was present. Simply waiting for them doesn't mean they arrived.