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Rex Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Had vowed or vowed
The leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, has been arrested along with several colleagues.
They were detained as they tried to hold a prayer meeting in Harare.
Police sealed off roads and fought running battles with opposition supporters, using tear gas and water cannons against them, activists said.
The opposition had vowed to hold the rally which the government said broke a ban on political gatherings.
MDC officials told the BBC that Mr Tsvangirai was being held along with five other members of the top party leadership at Highfields police station.
The rally was called by the Save Zimbabwe Campaign - a coalition of church, human rights and political groups.
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1.The opposition had vowed to hold the rally which the government said broke a ban on political gatherings.
Is it necessary to write 'had vowed' here?
It may be the case that the opposition made the vow before the rally.
2.The opposition vowed to hold the rally which the government said broke a ban on political gatherings. [ What is wrong with this sentence?]
They were detained as they tried to hold a prayer meeting in Harare.
Police sealed off roads and fought running battles with opposition supporters, using tear gas and water cannons against them, activists said.
The opposition had vowed to hold the rally which the government said broke a ban on political gatherings.
MDC officials told the BBC that Mr Tsvangirai was being held along with five other members of the top party leadership at Highfields police station.
The rally was called by the Save Zimbabwe Campaign - a coalition of church, human rights and political groups.
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1.The opposition had vowed to hold the rally which the government said broke a ban on political gatherings.
Is it necessary to write 'had vowed' here?
It may be the case that the opposition made the vow before the rally.
2.The opposition vowed to hold the rally which the government said broke a ban on political gatherings. [ What is wrong with this sentence?]
Top answer
You have to use the Past Perfect to indicate that something happened before an event you are talking about. Sometimes it is not necessary to use the Past Perfect, especially when there are introducing adverbs like before or whatever. But to make clear that they voted before that rally, you have to use had vowed.
- You have to use the Past Perfect to indicate that something happened before an event you are talking about.
- Sometimes it is not necessary to use the Past Perfect, especially when there are introducing adverbs like before or whatever.
- But to make clear that they voted before that rally, you have to use had vowed.
- Otherwise the sentence may become ambigous.
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4 Answers
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You have to use the Past Perfect to indicate that something happened before an event you are talking about. Sometimes it is not necessary to use the Past Perfect, especially when there are introducing adverbs like before or whatever. But to make clear that they voted before that rally, you have to use had vowed. Otherwise the sentence may become ambigous.
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Thanks Case Assigner for the reply.
So the following is an ambigous sentence in this context.
The opposition vowed to hold the rally which the government said broke a ban on political gatherings.
However, I am not convinced.
So the following is an ambigous sentence in this context.
The opposition vowed to hold the rally which the government said broke a ban on political gatherings.
However, I am not convinced.
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I think the difference between both sentences is that with the past perfect the opposition had already vowed and in the simple past there can be a situation imagined where the opposition vowed but there is nothing said about the result..... Hmmm, I think that´s not really clear what I want to say. With the Simple Past there can be a situation imagined in which the opposition does the act of vowin
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