Had died/died

Question

Here's just a little part of a book that I'm reading.

Elena felt another sick twinge. As a child, she'd always been awed by the pale lady and the grave man who lay with their eyes closed, hands folded on their breasts. And after her parents died, she'd thought of them as lying side by side like this down in the cemetery.

Shouldn't it be "had died" because the writer was referring to the past before the past? Thanks.

RandomGuy · Accepted Answer

No. The past simple is used instead because after already clarifies what happened first.

Whatchadoin · Answer

So when a meaning is clear as in the sentence above, I can refer to the past before the past without having to use past perfect?
Why didn't the writer use simple past in the following sentence:

whatchadoin As a child, she'd always been awed by the pale lady and the grave man who lay with their eyes closed, hands folded on their *******.

I'm asking because the meaning is clear. Or at least I think so. What do you think?

Thanks.

RandomGuy · Answer

whatchadoinSo when a meaning is clear as in the sentence above, I can refer to the past before the past without having to use past perfect?

The past simple suffices in such cases, yes.

whatchadoinWhy didn't the writer use simple past in the following sentence:
As a child, she'd always been awed by the pale lady and the grave man who lay with their eyes closed, hands folded on their *******.

Without the past perfect, the reader could momentarily think that Elena is a child, and that would be bad writing.

Whatchadoin · Answer

Aspara GusThe past simple suffices in such cases, yes.

I already knew that. I should've phrased my question a tad differently. Can I use simple past in front of the second past when a meaning is clear? I'll try to make a couple of sentences up.

He'd rented the secret house as he'd always wanted it. A lot of people had already lived in it years and years before he rented it.

Is past perfect necessary here? I don't think it is because we already have 'before'. What do you think?

RandomGuy · Answer

whatchadoinA lot of people had already lived in it years and years before he rented it. Is past perfect necessary here?

It isn't required, no, but the past perfect is often used repeatedly in storytelling for consistency. Just because it's not necessary to avoid confusion doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't use it. Just use your own judgment. That's what I do.

Had died/died

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