When he'd pushed her, she'd fallen heavily

[EngLearner]

Sarah works at a hospital. Yesterday, during her shift, she had to assist her colleague in the emergency room. Today, she met up with her friend Lisa for a cup of coffee and told her about what happened yesterday.

1. During my shift yesterday, I had to go to the emergency room. A group of students from the drama college were sitting there anxiously while the doctor was examining their fellow student Becky. A guy named John was among them. When he pushed her, she fell heavily and was knocked out. After the doctor finished the examination, they were told that she had no major injuries.

2. During my shift yesterday, I had to go to the emergency room. A group of students from the drama college were sitting there anxiously while the doctor was examining their fellow student Becky. A guy named John was among them. When he'd pushed her, she'd fallen heavily and been knocked out. After the doctor finished the examination, they were told that she had no major injuries.

I made up the scenario and wrote the sentences. John pushed Becky, causing her to fall heavily and be knocked out, which occurred before the doctor examined her. In a past tense narrative, we normally use the past perfect when presenting events in reverse chronological order. Is it necessary to use the past perfect in this particular case? Are both versions acceptable, and if so, do you have a preference?

 

[jutfrank]

When you're narrating the main dramatic events of a story, use past simple. Past perfect is mostly for giving background information, which this is not.

 

[EngLearner]

1. During my shift yesterday, I had to go to the emergency room. A group of students from the drama college were sitting there anxiously while the doctor was examining their fellow student Becky. A guy named John was among them. When he pushed her, she fell heavily and was knocked out. After the doctor finished the examination, they were told that she had no major injuries.

2. During my shift yesterday, I had to go to the emergency room. A group of students from the drama college were sitting there anxiously while the doctor was examining their fellow student Becky. A guy named John was among them. When he'd pushed her, she'd fallen heavily and been knocked out. After the doctor finished the examination, they were told that she had no major injuries.

As I see it, the main events of the narrative are in red, and the blue text is background information. I know that in the following sentence the past perfect is appropriate:

During my shift yesterday, I had to go to the emergency room. A group of students from the drama college were sitting there anxiously. Becky, one of their fellow students, had fallen heavily and been knocked out. The doctor was examining her.

So, if we have a sentence with a when-clause that gives background information to the main events of a past tense narrative (as in post #1), then we don't use the past perfect. Right?

 

[5jj]

2. During my shift yesterday, I had to go to the emergency room. A group of students from the drama college were sitting there anxiously while the doctor was examining their fellow student Becky. A guy named John was among them. When he'd pushed her, she'd fallen heavily and been knocked out. After the doctor finished the examination, they were told that she had no major injuries.

I would use the past perfect there.

 

[EngLearner]

If I rewrite what I wrote in post #1 as follows:

1A. During my shift yesterday, I had to go to the emergency room. A group of students from the drama college was sitting there anxiously while the doctor was examining their fellow student Becky. Some guy named John had pushed her, and she'd fallen heavily and been knocked out. After the doctor finished the examination, they were told that she had no major injuries.

2A. During my shift yesterday, I had to go to the emergency room. A group of students from the drama college was sitting there anxiously while the doctor was examining their fellow student Becky. Some guy named John had pushed her, and she fell heavily and was knocked out. After the doctor finished the examination, they were told that she had no major injuries.

Are versions #1A and #2A both acceptable, and does the use of the past perfect for the bolded verbs become a stylistic choice in this case? If so, which version do you prefer?

 

[jutfrank]

If I rewrite what I wrote in post #1 as follows:

1A. During my shift yesterday, I had to go to the emergency room. A group of students from the drama college was sitting there anxiously while the doctor was examining their fellow student Becky. Some guy named John had pushed her, and she'd fallen heavily and been knocked out. After the doctor finished the examination, they were told that she had no major injuries.

Yes, good. The blue sentence is clearly background explanation, so the past perfect works very well.