Thread: было не было…

…the genitive case drives me crazy!

- Он не был дома.
- Его не было дома.

Are both these constructions correct, or is the 2nd (impersonal+Gen) better? Could they have different meaning?

Thanks for help.

the first type belogns to so-called sentences with definite localizators.

Она и сейчас у меня дома;
Шеренги письменных столов стояли от стены к стене;
Карта лежала перед ним и теперь;
Мы живем в век электричества;

Some of her bags were still here;
Lamont remains at the library door;
The mark of his butterfly knife was on it.




the second type is a so-called existential statement with expression of the indefinite localizator.

In the English language such sentences (with indefinite localizators) usually correspond 'there' sentences:

Погони не было – There was no chase;
Готовой продукции не нашлось ни одной пары – There was not a pair to be found;
Больных не было ни одного – There was not a single patient.

reversive (English-Russian) correspondence is also mentioned:
There was no party – Никакой вечеринки не было.

Originally Posted by samurai

- Он не был дома. - Его не было дома.

Thanks Mishau.
Well, could you be so kind to tell me how you translate the two quoted examples? Or, could you write two sentences and translations using these two examples?