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HSS Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Had Seen ... when ....

I think just 'saw' would be better than 'had seen' on the first line. Why is it 'had seen' there, I wonder?

I saw you when you were so little.
??? I had seen you when you were so little ???

Thanks.


(Gogol and Moushumi are getting married in the ceremony)

Countless people come to congratulate him, saying they had seen him when he was so little, asking him to pose for photographs, to wrap his arms around families and smile. He is numbly drunk through it all, thanks to the open bar her parents have sprung for. (The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri)
  

Top answer

Past perfect is not necessary, I agree, but I'm not sure that simple past is better, even if the grammar calls for it. The writer wishes to stress the length of time between the past seeing and the present greeting, I think.

— Mister Micawber

  • Past perfect is not necessary, I agree, but I'm not sure that simple past is better, even if the grammar calls for it.
  • The writer wishes to stress the length of time between the past seeing and the present greeting, I think.
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8 Answers
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Past perfect is not necessary, I agree, but I'm not sure that simple past is better, even if the grammar calls for it. The writer wishes to stress the length of time between the past seeing and the present greeting, I think.
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Countless people come to congratulate him, saying they had seen him when he was so little, ....

This author uses the past perfect when stressing time long ago in historic present passages. I wonder if it would be better to use the same tense for 'seeing' and 'being so little' because those two times are concurrent?

Countless people come to congratulate hi
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No, because we do not usually regress that dependent clause. One past perfect is enough.
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Mister MicawberNo, because we do not usually regress that dependent clause. One past perfect is enough.

Does that include other conjunctions (+ clause) such as before, after, because etc., MM?

Hiro
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Except, come to think of it, when the timing of the dependent action also needs to be clarified or emphasized.

Countless people come to congratulate him, saying they had seen him because his birth had been announced with such a fanfare.
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Mister MicawberExcept, come to think of it, when the timing of the dependent action also needs to be clarified or emphasized.

Countless people come to congratulate him, saying they had seen him because his birth had been announced with such a fanfare.


Hi, MM.

I was just reading the thread again, and won
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