Mike Elphick

I am having a discussion with a creationist, who explains the apparent contraction of the creation of animals before man in Genesis 1 and after man in Genesis 2.

Instead of: -

"And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought the unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof."

He says an alternative translation is: -

"Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground...."

This change of tense does not seem to match the preceding verse: -

"And the LORD God said, it is not good that the man should be alone: I will make him an help meet for him."

Is the alternative translation correct, or is it a device to remove the contradiction between the two creation stories?