Before I arrived at the station, my train had already left

hirashin

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8 Apr 2004

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• 6 Feb 2017

• #1

I have another question.
Can you use all of these sentences interchangeably?
(a) When I arrived at the station, my train had already left.
(b) Before I arrived at the station, my train had already left.
(c) By the time I arrived at the station, my train had already left.

Thanks in advance.
Hirashin

 

Lothor

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• 6 Feb 2017

• #2

(a) and (c) are correct. (b) doesn't sound right. I think that's because the first part of the sentence in (a) and (c) refers to a specific moment in time but (b) refers to a range of times.

 

hirashin

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• #3

Thanks for the help, Lothor.

 

J

johnnyG

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• #4

All sound okay to me.

Consider tho, that different people surround those sentences with differing contexts.

 

hirashin

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• #5

Thanks, johnnyG.

 

OoTmaster

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• #6

They all seem correct to me.

 

hirashin

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• #7

Thanks, OoTmaster.