Questions tagged [past-vs-past-perfect]
is for questions about when to use the past tense versus the past perfect tense
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questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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We swam in the same pool we saw / had seen in the photos
Which is the correct form and why?
On safari we swam in the same pool we saw in the photos on the website.
On safari we swam in the same pool we had seen in the photos on the website.
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When had you met him? vs. When did you meet him?
When I searched for "When had you met him" in Google Books, I found "Warren Commission: Complete Investigation & Commission's Report", which includes:
Mr. GRIFFIN. Do you ...
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she did it? is it correct
At the end of a movie, the main character kills the mean people and another person replies "she did it"
Why did he use past simple, I would have used "she has done it* because the ...
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Some doubts about the usage of Past Perfect in these context
I am encountering some problems filling these space in this exercises:
A: Have you seen Matt recently?
B: Matt? He’s in Canada.
A: Really? How long has he been in Canada?
B: About a year now. ...
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Completed Action/ final condition / final state of action / Event at that time in Reporting Speech?
The past perfect is used to communicate an event completed before another event in the past.
But in newspaper I read in some news that past perfect and simple past is being used to communicate the ...
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Which sentence is more appropriate to express my idea?
If I want to express that I practiced my spoken English every day last summer, which of the following sentences is more appropriate?
I practiced my spoken English throughout last summer.
I was ...
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I showed him some snapshots that ... "I had taken in London” or "I took in London"
I understand the past perfect tense and I clearly understand the meaning of the sentence below.
I showed him some snapshots that I had taken in London.
However, a friend of mine asked me if the ...
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Before she became queen, she had always said that she had not wanted to marry. - Indirect reported speech
This is about indirect reported speech:
Before she became queen, she had always said that she does not want to marry.
Looks logical to me (since the time has already been introduced with past perfect)...
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how to understand where it is better not to use Past Perfect?
I am confused, because I use Past Perfect even where it's not needed. Please, help me to figure out.
For instance, why we don't say:
We had had nothing in common with her, so we quickly lost contact....
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"went, have gone, have been"?
I know that you use "have been to" instead of "have gone to" when you mention your past experience. But how about the case below?
Italy was the first foreign country I went to.
...
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Is it possible to use "already" with the past simple in this example?
I did not remember that I already bought it.
or
I did not remember that I had already bought it.
I think that past simple works as it is not a narrative and it is obvious that the action of buying ...
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Can we use "before" after "than" as in "than before" for a sentence in past tense
Do the following sentences have the same meaning?
a. The economic situation is better than before.
b. The economic situation is better than it used to be.
c. The economic situation is better than it ...
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were already developed vs had already been developed
In a previous question, I got an answer that says that you can't write "the song had already been well rehearsed" because once it is well rehearsed you don't need to rehearse the song.
Would ...
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Simple past with the "by some point in the past" phrase. What to choose and when?
Why does it use the past simple tense rather than the past perfect (had been)?
(1) Odenkirk confirmed by early September 2021 that he was back on set
filming.
The source: https://en.wikipedia.org/...
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I wonder if the PP tense in some (or all) of these sentences is either optional or mandatory or wrong
Yesterday I watched the movie “Father”. I hadn’t expected it, but the
movie proved to be a masterpiece. This morning I was surprised to
learn that the 93d Oscar ceremony had been held last night, and
...
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Is the past perfect correct here?
From a movie. Two cyclists talking after a short race.
A: How is that for slow?
B: You gotta give me a second chance! I'll race you through the tunnel.
A: You're on. Hadn't had enough? (meaning I ...
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past perfect or past simple with work
is there any difference between these sentences?
I had worked hard so I needed a break
I worked hard so I needed a break
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Is "had" necessary in this sentence?
You failed 9 subjects before you graduated from college.
I read up that its necessary for this to become "you had failed" since there are 2 past tense verbs, and because the "had" ...
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"I tried to make an order but couldn't pay because you*had not accepted paypal payment yet."
I tried to make an order but couldn't pay because you had not accepted paypal payment yet.
Will it be ok to use the present perfect or past simple. Is it possible to use yet with past simple?
I ...
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What is the best "had or had expected " in this case
It turned out that what happened was different from what I expected in my mind.
I would like to know if my sentence is idiomatic and if we can write the following?
It turned out that what happened ...
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The past perfect tense is used in the main clause and in the subordinate?
I saw a sentence in the Collins English Dictionary:
He had squirmed and wriggled and screeched when his father had washed his face.
I rarely see a sentence which uses the past perfect tense both in ...
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sequence of tenses in subordinate sentences
The UK could flourish once the shackles of EU membership were released.
or
The UK could flourish once the shackles of EU membership had been released.
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usage of adverbial clauses
1)After you go through the book, please return it to me.
2) After you have gone through the book, please return it to me
What is the difference in meaning of these two sentences? Which sentence ...
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"No sooner had ... than" and "No sooner did ... than"
Are both of the following sentences grammatically correct?
No sooner had the committee made the announcement than everyone started complaining
No sooner did the committee made the announcement ...
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Is it "The last book that I have read" or "The last book that I read"?
Today we had an assignment where I had to write about the latest book that I read.
Is it more correct saying "The last book that I have read" or "The last book that I read" ?. Then, is it correct to ...
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Is the sentence grammatically correct? (Concerned with tense usage)
Since I can understand the English dialogue without much difficulty, there’s no reason not to enjoy the films in the way the film-makers intended.
I'm not sure whether I should use "intended" or "...
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I had done when you had come by the evening
We have "A" and B moments in the past. "A" happened first, "B" happened second. "A" should be in Perfect. Example:
I had done when you came
I had done - "A"
When you came - "B"
"A" happened before ...
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Who had always wanted to do it
We have such a sentence:
I found some people who always wanted to walk in the forests.
Is it correct? I mean the second part has to be in Past Simple or Past Perfect like:
I found some people ...
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Is it possible to use past simple instead of past perfect in "...all the washing up HAD BEEN DONE..."?
There's the following sentence in my Grammar book:
It was a lovely surprise to find that all the washing-up HAD BEEN DONE while I was asleep.
The only answer mentioned in the answer key is past ...
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Past perfect usage
I went over to John's place three months ago. (this sentence should mean the speaker went over to john's place three months before now.)
I had visited John's, three months ago.
Without a reference ...
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Correct use of tense for interview questions?
Q) How did you manage your studies?
Ans (a) I did not study hard. I had prepared one timetable and followed it.
Ans (b) I did not study hard. I prepared one timetable and followed it.
Which one ...
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Does using the third conditional make this argument circular?
I was wondering which conditional would be appropriate in the following argument.
There's no evidence to support the opposition's claim that a black hole resulted from the supernova. Furthermore, ...
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past simple & past perfect
What is the difference between using the simple past in two parts of the sentence and using the past simple in one part and the past perfect in the other part. For example:
"As soon as the light ...
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Using the Past Simple with the "in the last" expression
Almost half of the people who bought a vinyl record in the
last 12 months did so after hearing on a streaming site
Since the expression "in the last 12 months" includes the current moment of time,...
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"I would do anything you asked me to"
What exactly does it mean?
What is the difference between:
I would do anything you asked me to!
I would have done anything you had asked me to!
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Past Simple or Past Perfect for consecutive events
This question may be slightly silly, but still. Here are two examples:
The kids did their homework and played.
The kids had done their homework and played.
Are both examples correct and if not, then ...
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past perfect tense usage -- I had called you yesterday before leaving
Is the sentence below correct?
I had called you yesterday before leaving.
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