We had reached home before the rain started.

[Tait-ka]

We had reached home before the rain started.

I created the above sentence. Can I ask whether the bolded part is correct?

 

[Skrej]

It is.

 

[Tait-ka]

It is.

Is it also idiomatic?

 

[Skrej]

It is.

 

[Tait-ka]

Can I ask whether the use of past perfect "had reached" is also correct and idiomatic in that sentence?

 

[BobK]

Let me say it this time: yes. (Though many less careful speakers don't bother with it. [When I say 'bother', I mean that the past perfect involves extra complexity, and even if the speaker omits the auxiliary it's usually possible for the listener to understand the sequence of events]).

 

[emsr2d2]

As long as the surrounding context and timeframe calls for the past perfect, it's fine. Of course, other tenses can be used in that sentence depending on context.

 

[jutfrank]

Can I ask whether the use of past perfect "had reached" is also correct and idiomatic in that sentence?

I think it may be worth repeating what post #7 has already said, i.e., that it's not possible to know whether it's correct without knowing the context, and whether there's a reason to use the past perfect there.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'idiomatic'.

 

[Tarheel]

Perhaps:

We got home before the rain started coming down.

While past perfect is possible, it doesn't seem necessary there.

 

[Tait-ka]

Perhaps:

We got home before the rain started coming down.

While past perfect is possible, it doesn't seem necessary there.

Thanks. Are you a native English speaker?

 

[Piscean]

Look to the left of Tarheel's post and you will see:

Joined: Sep 21, 16, 2014
Member Type : Interested in Language
Native Language: American English
Home Country: United States
Current Location: United States

 

[Tarheel]

Are you a native English speaker?

I should know how to answer that. I really should.

English is the only language I'm any good at. (I took German in high school, but Spanish would have been a better choice.)

I guess you want to know if you can have confidence in what I say about everyday English. Well, I would like to think so. I sure wouldn't be giving advice if I didn't think I knew what I was talking about.