Let's consider the following two sentences:
After I'd washed the cat, it ran off.
When I'd washed the cat, it ran off.
They mean the same thing, don't they?
That's actually a
very good question! I'd also add two more sentences to consider along with those above.
After I
washed the cat, it ran off.
When I
washed the cat, it ran off.
Even though
English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy says, "
Use when if one thing happens after another":
I don't think that's
always the case.
Like, for example, here:
"When I did my homework, I listened to music", where, despite the fact that it has "when" and both clauses in the past simple, the sentence indicates that the two actions are simultaneous, not consecutive (as they are in the Murphy's sentence with
the very same structure "when" + both clauses in the past simple —
"When I got home, I had something to eat").
Therefore, in order to correctly translate the perfective verb form, which (among other features) indicates that one action follows the other (consecutive actions), we sometimes have to use either
"after" + the simple (
or)
the perfect aspect or
"when" + the perfect aspect (
if "when" + the simple aspect
fails to show the sequence of the actions, indicating their simultaneity).
So,
the main question for us remains:
if we want to talk about sequential actions (one follows the other),
1) do we need to use "after" or is "when" already sufficient, and
2) do we need the perfect aspect or is the simple one already sufficient?
1.
When I
got home, I
had something to eat.
—
1) "when" is already sufficient (although I believe "after" is also possible here, meaning the same thing);
2) the simple aspect is already sufficient (although I believe the perfect aspect
"When I'd got(ten) home, ..." is also possible here, meaning the same thing).
2.
When After I
did my homework, I
listened to music.
—
1) we need "after" as "when" would indicate the actions are simultaneous;
2) the simple aspect is sufficient (although I believe the perfect aspect
"After I'd done my homework, ..." is also possible here, meaning the same thing).
I don't know why, to be honest, but English is just the way it is. We have to adapt!
And, yes, in order to adapt, you have to
at least know what you have to adapt to.
