0
Olive file 673 Posted 7 years ago
Grammar

Are both tenses possible in this context?

I'd like to know if these two sentences are both possible and mean the same thing:

I couldn't find the pictures I had looked at earlier.

I couldn't find the pictures I had been looking at earlier.

  

Top answer

I would like to change the second sentence into: I didn't expect to see the pictures I had been looking at earlier. This is from a newspaper and I don't understand the combination of past perfect continuous and "earlier".

— Olive file 673

  • I would like to change the second sentence into: I didn't expect to see the pictures I had been looking at earlier.
  • This is from a newspaper and I don't understand the combination of past perfect continuous and "earlier".
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

2 Answers
0

I would like to change the second sentence into:

I didn't expect to see the pictures I had been looking at earlier. This is from a newspaper and I don't understand the combination of past perfect continuous and "earlier".

0
0
olive file 673I'd like to know if these two sentences are both possible and mean the same thing:

There is a slight difference, the one you would expect from the difference in aspect. "Had looked" speaks to the single act of looking. "Had been looking" means looking over time. Just be sure you need the perfect.

0

Related Questions