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dido4
06-23-2009, 02:24 AM
1.I was at the mountain the day before yesterday.

Q:Can we use before yesterday?
I was at the mountain before yesterday.
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2.I was at the mountain on the day before yesterday?

Q:Can we put on in the sentence? Any particular meaning if we put on here.

Thank you
Marius Hancu
06-23-2009, 02:27 AM
Only the original is good.

2 is correct, but a bit heavy to me.
Marius Hancu
06-23-2009, 02:32 AM
See frequency in published books:

620 on "there the day before yesterday"
http://books.google.com/books?q=%22there+the+day+before+yesterday%22&btnG=Search+Books

33 on "there on the day before yesterday"
http://books.google.com/books?q=%22there+on+the+day+before+yesterday%22&btnG=Search+Books

The 2nd is correct, but a bit old, as you can see from the dates of the samples.
Bridget
06-23-2009, 02:51 AM
I was at the mountain before yesterday.

You were at the mountain yesterday, but you had also been there sometime before (yesterday).
Marius Hancu
06-23-2009, 04:08 AM
If you insist to use before yesterday:

I had been at the mountain (many times, sometime, etc) before yesterday.
Bridget
06-23-2009, 05:17 AM
If you insist to use before:


"Insist on using"?

Are you saying we can't use "I was there before"?
Marius Hancu
06-23-2009, 05:34 AM
*I was at the mountain (in days past) before yesterday.
I had been at the mountain (in days past) before yesterday.

My choice is by far the 2nd, as yesterday establishes a simple past moment, from which before takes us to a previous time, which requires past perfect.

But more context could confirm that or not.