[Grammar] Past Perfect Tense

[Nepo]

Which sentence is correct?

1). Before the fox had eaten all the chickens, the farmer killed it.
2). Before the fox ate all the chickens, the farmer had killed it.


Thank you.

 

[bhaisahab]

Neither one. It's not clear what you are trying to say.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Do you mean "the farmer had killed the fox before it attempted to eat all the chickens" or "the farmer had killed all the chickens before the fox ate them"?

Not a teacher.

 

[emsr2d2]

How about "Before the fox could eat (all) the chickens, the farmer killed them"?

 

[Barb_D]

Do you mean: The farmer slaughtered the chickens before the fox was able to eat them.
or
Do you mean: The farmer killed the fox before it could eat the chickens.

 

[Matthew Wai]

The farmer slaughtered the chickens before the fox was able to eat them.

I think slaughtered chickens could still be eaten by the fox, am I wrong?

 

[emsr2d2]

You're not wrong.

 

[Barb_D]

One must assume the farmer slaughters the chickens for the purpose of eating or selling them, not to make it easier for the fox to have its meal.

 

[Nepo]

Neither one. It's not clear what you are trying to say.

I am trying to say that:-

The fox had eaten some chicken, then the farmer discovered it and killed the fox (so that the fox would not be able to eat the rest of the chicken).

So, which sentence below is able to fit the situation above:-

1). Before the fox had eaten all the chickens, the farmer killed it.
2). Before the fox ate all the chickens, the farmer had killed it.

 

[bhaisahab]

The farmer killed the fox before it could eat all the chickens.

 

[Nepo]

Do you mean: The farmer slaughtered the chickens before the fox was able to eat them.
or
Do you mean: The farmer killed the fox before it could eat the chickens.

Hi,
I mean: The farmer killed the fox before it could eat the chicken.

So, which sentence below is able to fit the situation above:-

1). Before the fox had eaten all the chickens, the farmer killed it.
2). Before the fox ate all the chickens, the farmer had killed it

Thank you.

 

[Matthew Wai]

When you say "ate", it means the fox did really eat them, such is not your intended meaning.

Not a teacher.

 

[emsr2d2]

That depends. In BrE, if I say "The farmer put all the chickens in the shed before the fox ate them", it could mean "He put them in the shed but the fox broke in to the shed
and ate them anyway" or it could mean "The farmer put all the chickens in the shed before the fox could take the opportunity to eat them while they were outside".

You need to hide that bleach before the baby drinks it.
I hid the bleach before the baby drank it.
Thank goodness you hid the bleach before the baby drank it.

 

[Barb_D]

Tenses can be weird this way.
Take those chips away before I eat them all. = to prevent me from eating them all.

My car got a flat tire before we had gone a mile. = you didn't get as far as one mile.

So: "The farmer killed the fox before it had eaten all the chickens" works, but not as well as "before it could eat all the chickens" in my opinion.