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Homerfarmsby Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

English Tense

Are the two sentences below saying different things? If so, what? I am so thoroughly confused about tenses. Would you kindly help me understand the difference between the two (if there is one)?
  1. Last month, I signed up for the swimming team.
  2. Last month, I had signed up for the swimming team.

Thank you very much!

Homer
  

Top answer

The forms with "had" are only needed when you are comparing one time period with another. If you are just reporting one fact, as you are doing here, you don't need "had". Use the first version.

— CalifJim

  • The forms with "had" are only needed when you are comparing one time period with another.
  • If you are just reporting one fact, as you are doing here, you don't need "had".
  • Use the first version.
  • CJ
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2 Answers
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The forms with "had" are only needed when you are comparing one time period with another. If you are just reporting one fact, as you are doing here, you don't need "had". Use the first version.

CJ
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  1. Last month, I signed up for the swimming team.
  2. Last month, I had signed up for the swimming team.


You may optionally use the second one if something else happened afterward (still in the past) which is in your story.

Last month I had signed up for the swimming team, but I [later] learned that I was alergic to the chlorine in the
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