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Marix998 Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
In 1870 he had set up/set up a telegraph manufacturing shop and laboratory in Newark.
Hello,
I have encountered with a grammar issue that does not make sense to me.
An author used past perfect after the precise time reference point: In 1870 he had set up ...
What is the difference between: in 1870 he had set up and in 1870 he set up
I hope that there is enough context to understand the usage of the tense.
When Western Union fell into the hands of Jay Gould, the notorious financier and waterer of stock, Edison said his kind of inventiveness was no longer needed there, so he became an independet inventor, choosing his own problems, making his won inventions, and forming new companies to market them. In 1870 he had set up a telegraph manufacturing shop and laboratory in Newark, New Jersey; in 1876 when he decided to become an independet inventor, he drew upon his capital and his growing reputation to fulfill a vision-the establishment of an invention enterprise or as some said, an invention factory.
Thank you
m
I have encountered with a grammar issue that does not make sense to me.
An author used past perfect after the precise time reference point: In 1870 he had set up ...
What is the difference between: in 1870 he had set up and in 1870 he set up
I hope that there is enough context to understand the usage of the tense.
When Western Union fell into the hands of Jay Gould, the notorious financier and waterer of stock, Edison said his kind of inventiveness was no longer needed there, so he became an independet inventor, choosing his own problems, making his won inventions, and forming new companies to market them. In 1870 he had set up a telegraph manufacturing shop and laboratory in Newark, New Jersey; in 1876 when he decided to become an independet inventor, he drew upon his capital and his growing reputation to fulfill a vision-the establishment of an invention enterprise or as some said, an invention factory.
Thank you
m
Top answer
What is the difference between: in 1870 he had set up and in 1870 he set up? -- The writer simply wishes to make it clear that the set-up of his laboratory had been completed when he decided to become an inventor. It is a look back into the past of the past because Edison's conflict with Jay Gould came between the lab set-up and the status of independent inventor; the lab set-up is not the thrust of the statement, and the dates are for historical interest (an historian will throw in more dates than writers in other fields, of course).
- What is the difference between: in 1870 he had set up and in 1870 he set up?
- -- The writer simply wishes to make it clear that the set-up of his laboratory had been completed when he decided to become an inventor.
- It is a look back into the past of the past because Edison's conflict with Jay Gould came between the lab set-up and the status of independent inventor; the lab set-up is not the thrust of the statement, and the dates are for historical interest (an historian will throw in more dates than writers in other fields, of course).
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2 Answers
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I have encountered a grammar issue that does not make sense to me....What is the difference between: in 1870 he had set up and in 1870 he set up? -- The writer simply wishes to make it clear that the set-up of his laboratory had been completed when he decided to become an inventor. It is a look back into the past of the past because Edison's conflict with Jay Gould came between the
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Let me imagine I was writing about this:
Western Union fell into the hands of Jay Gould in 1881. Edison decided to branch out on his own. This was not a rash decision, because he had gained a lot of experience in both inventing and business in the years prior to setting up Western Union. In 1870,
Western Union fell into the hands of Jay Gould in 1881. Edison decided to branch out on his own. This was not a rash decision, because he had gained a lot of experience in both inventing and business in the years prior to setting up Western Union. In 1870,
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