Definite and indefinite article plus simple past/gerund

[Jesus1]

Hi!. How is it going? Are you going out tonight?
If so, enjoy yourself!.

Take a look at this sentece.

On "A" Sunday, "Before I "went/going"
to "the church/church", I talked to my
best friend"

My questions:

1.- Can I use the indefinite article to mean
"any sunday"? Should it be maybe
"One Sunday"?Maybe, but It sounds
so awfully!!

2.- Simple past or gerund? Is there any difference?

3.- I?m not sure if I should use the definite article or not
, but I think It should go without it.
"I went to church". Is that right?





Thanks indeed!

Jes?s

[Mister Micawber]

.
On a Sunday, before going/I went to church, I talked to my best friend.

1-- The indefinite article is the first mention of a specific Sunday in this story. One Sunday is also fine here. If it refers to last Sunday, then no article is required. If you wish to include many Sundays, then you will need to say, 'On Sundays... I (often) talked...'.

2-- If you use the participle (it is not a gerund), no subject is used: before I went; before going. Here they carry the same meaning.

3-- To church is the normal, like to school, to work. If the context has mentioned a specific church building and that is the destination (rather than church services), then to the church would be used.
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber