By the time I got to the hotel, there weren't any rooms left. vs By the time I got to the hotel, there hadn't been any rooms left.

The correct phrase is: 'by the time I got to the hotel, there weren't any rooms left.' This is the appropriate construction to indicate the absence of rooms at a specific point in the past. The second phrase is incorrect because 'hadn't been' is not the right tense to use in this context.

Last updated: March 23, 2024 • 1013 views

By the time I got to the hotel, there weren't any rooms left.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate the absence of rooms at a specific point in the past.

This phrase is used to express that when the speaker arrived at the hotel, there were no rooms available.

Show examples from the web [+]

By the time the hotel clerk had produced my bill, cleared my credit card and I found a taxi, it was already 9:15.
The killer could have already been gone by the time hotel security got to the room.
Abby spent most of the time in the hotel texting Peter.
And by the time I got to college, I was pretty advanced.
Should've fired Colonel Parker by the time I got in the pictures.
By the time I got to Heather, she...
But whoever killed Harrot was long gone by the time I got there.
By the time I got back, Clara had already left.
Could barely breathe by the time I got there.
Gone by the time I got back this afternoon.
By the time I got to Sound City, it was really dying.
By the time I got there everything was on fire.
By the time I got there, the dog already finished off Rossie.
Dates and times from the hotel in Borth.
I just ran downstairs, but... by the time I got there, my father was barely breathing.
By the time I got here, there was already a crowd of people gathered around her body.
By the time I got back to my car, it had been broken into and the battery was gone.
By the time I got arrested, he was already out of the picture.
By the time I got out, she wasn't a little girl anymore.
And by the time I got back, they were pulling him out of the water.

By the time I got to the hotel, there hadn't been any rooms left.

This phrase is incorrect. 'Hadn't been' is not the appropriate tense to use in this context.

Show examples from the web [+]

By the time the hotel clerk had produced my bill, cleared my credit card and I found a taxi, it was already 9:15.
The killer could have already been gone by the time hotel security got to the room.
Abby spent most of the time in the hotel texting Peter.
And by the time I got to college, I was pretty advanced.
Should've fired Colonel Parker by the time I got in the pictures.
By the time I got to Heather, she...
But whoever killed Harrot was long gone by the time I got there.
By the time I got back, Clara had already left.
Could barely breathe by the time I got there.
Gone by the time I got back this afternoon.
By the time I got to Sound City, it was really dying.
By the time I got there everything was on fire.
By the time I got there, the dog already finished off Rossie.
Dates and times from the hotel in Borth.
I just ran downstairs, but... by the time I got there, my father was barely breathing.
By the time I got here, there was already a crowd of people gathered around her body.
By the time I got back to my car, it had been broken into and the battery was gone.
By the time I got arrested, he was already out of the picture.
By the time I got out, she wasn't a little girl anymore.
And by the time I got back, they were pulling him out of the water.

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By the time I got to the hotel, there weren't any rooms left. vs By the time I got to the hotel, there hadn't been any rooms left.