Had come up or came up?

Question

Help me understand better the use of present perfect and simple past please.
If I'm in a library and borrowing a book how should I ask a staff about that while scanning the book in the machine, the receipt with charges for overdue books (had come up or came up?)

Kashash · Accepted Answer

help needed urgent pls

Clive · Answer

Hi,

8 minutes is not a long time to wait. Some people wait for hours or even days.

Present Perfect is the best choice here.

'The receipt . . . had come up' is not Present Perfect. It is Past Perfect.

Have you learned Present Perfect yet? Can you try to write it in Present Perfect?

Clive

Kashash · Answer

Thanks for your prompt answer. Yes I know it's a past perfect, my mistake, I wrote a bit hastily.

So the past perfect couldn't be used in there? What about in other circumstances like I have tried borrowed a book but the receipt with charges had come up?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

You need to review the meaning of the Past Perfect.

Here are two past events.

A. Tom came home.

B. Mary cooked dinner.

Can you write these in a way that shows me clearly that B happened first?

Clive

Anonymous · Answer

Mary had cooked dinner when Tom came home?

Had come up or came up?

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