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Viceidol Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
He told me somebody had phoned when I was/had been out.
Hello, everyone:
He told me somebody had phoned when I was/had been out.
They were quarreling about the property their father had left them when he died/had died.
For 40 years he had worked harder than he needed/had needed to.
When he was/had been at school, he had learnt nothing; so he was illiterate.
He had stayed in his father's fir, till his father died/had died.
Those sentences are from one of my grammar books, which says it's possible to use both past perfect or simple past in these sentences. I'm doubtful of this: Is it possible to use past perfect in those sentences?
Wouldn't that be wrong? Please give me your opinions about it. Thank you!!!
He told me somebody had phoned when I was/had been out.
They were quarreling about the property their father had left them when he died/had died.
For 40 years he had worked harder than he needed/had needed to.
When he was/had been at school, he had learnt nothing; so he was illiterate.
He had stayed in his father's fir, till his father died/had died.
Those sentences are from one of my grammar books, which says it's possible to use both past perfect or simple past in these sentences. I'm doubtful of this: Is it possible to use past perfect in those sentences?
Wouldn't that be wrong? Please give me your opinions about it. Thank you!!!
Top answer
I call it hypercorrection. In reality, the dependent clause does not naturally repeat the past perfect; it is simplified to simple past.
- I call it hypercorrection.
- In reality, the dependent clause does not naturally repeat the past perfect; it is simplified to simple past.
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3 Answers
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I call it hypercorrection. In reality, the dependent clause does not naturally repeat the past perfect; it is simplified to simple past.
I call it hypercorrection. In reality, the dependent clause does not naturally repeat the past perfect; it is simplified to simple past.
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So it's best to use simple past in those clauses, but it's also "possible" to use past perfect, am I right?
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I don't think it's possible to do so and remain acceptable written English.
I don't think it's possible to do so and remain acceptable written English.
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