было не было…

…the genitive case drives me crazy! :o

- 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. :D

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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by samurai

- Он не был дома. - Его не было дома.

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Thanks Mishau. :D
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?