What would you make of the following?

Yesterday, I saw a cardinal sitting on my back fence. I quickly grabbed my camera, but by the time I got outside to take a picture, the bird had flown away.
In this context, the past tense "flew" would not correctly convey the meaning because the birds action took place at a time in the past prior to the time of another action, which also occurred in the past. "Flew" would indicate that the bird flew away when "I got outside" rather than before. This, as I understand it, is the purpose of the past perfect.
John Whicker


Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:42:48 -0700
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: The bird flew away
To: [log in to unmask]

Copy to ATEG of a recent off-list message -- for the a-musement or b-musement, or even edification, of many among the silent majority.
 
~~~~~ 
 
The 'default' is the past tense, i.e., if it works without 'had', if it says what you mean to say without it, leave it, let it go.
 
But, note that ...
 
The bird had flown away.
The bird (had) flown away.
The bird flown away.
That doesn't work. It's gotta be 'had flown'.
No, it's gotta be 'flew', which is the past tense of 'to fly'.
The bird flew away ...
 
... which complies with the default rule.
 
.brad.thur.15oct09.


      
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