"Whenever you arrive/are arrived/were arrived"

Question

Which one of these sentences is grammatically correct? Would it be alright if the other sentences were being used in daily conversations?

Let me know whenever you arrive.
  
  Let me know whenever you're arrived.
  
  Let me know whenever you were arrived.

JSBձոգչ · Accepted Answer

The best is a variation of the first:

Let me know when you arrive.

The second two examples are incorrect, as to be isn't used followed by a past participle in this way.

An alternate formulation (which means pretty much the exact same thing) is to use the present perfect:

Let me know when you've arrived.

The difference in meaning between the simple present (in my first example) and the present perfect (in my second example) is very small in this case.

rpcameron · Answer

The first sentence is the only correct one. In both the second and third, you are using the improper form of "to be" for "you".

The proper forms of arrive in the second-person singular (2s) are:

you arrive
you do arrive
you arrived
you have arrived
you will arrive 
you could arrive
you would arrive
you should arrive
you shall arrive

(Did I miss any conjugations?)

Both "you are arrived" and "you're arrived" can be attributed to plural forms of "to be", but in English the plurals are usually reserved for only first- and third-person forms—we and they—however in some contexts "you" can be used for the 2P (second person plural—y'all colloquially) form. However, neither are regularly used in American English.

"Whenever you arrive/are arrived/were arrived"

2 Answers

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question