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Lunchbox Posted 20 years ago
Also, I am looking at a grammar book right now, and I don't know why my answer is wrong.
"The people had cheered when the Pope (had passed, passed) by."
I chose "had passed" because they had given (or gave?) no context, and so I assumed the people cheered AFTER the Pope passed by. But the correct answer is apparently "passed." Why? According to the very definition of the past perfect tense, the people had been cheering, had already COMPLETED cheering, when the Pope passed by. Yet I'm sure that's not what the sentence had meant (or meant?) to say.
Finally this is for Clive (or anyone else, it doesn't matter!)
"When I met Mary, I didn't know what to say to her. I had always been very shy as a child".
Why didn't you use "I was always very shy as a child"? Seeing as him being shy was still occuring and was not a completed action when he met Mary. So to keep all the "events" and "events" contemporaneous, shouldn't it say "I was always very shy as a child"?
Thanks!
ps - I was trying to avoid making too many posts in one day, so I put all my questions in my existing posts. I didn't want to bother people too much. =p
Grammar
Is this wrong?
If you are looking for a grammar book which contains an answer to all your questions (and also questions you had never thought of asking), then the best book to consult is : A Comprehensive Grammar of English by Randolph Quirk et al.Should it be "you never thought" (simple past) and not "you had never thought" since there was no other event to use?
Also, I am looking at a grammar book right now, and I don't know why my answer is wrong.
"The people had cheered when the Pope (had passed, passed) by."
I chose "had passed" because they had given (or gave?) no context, and so I assumed the people cheered AFTER the Pope passed by. But the correct answer is apparently "passed." Why? According to the very definition of the past perfect tense, the people had been cheering, had already COMPLETED cheering, when the Pope passed by. Yet I'm sure that's not what the sentence had meant (or meant?) to say.
Finally this is for Clive (or anyone else, it doesn't matter!)
"When I met Mary, I didn't know what to say to her. I had always been very shy as a child".
Why didn't you use "I was always very shy as a child"? Seeing as him being shy was still occuring and was not a completed action when he met Mary. So to keep all the "events" and "events" contemporaneous, shouldn't it say "I was always very shy as a child"?
Thanks!
ps - I was trying to avoid making too many posts in one day, so I put all my questions in my existing posts. I didn't want to bother people too much. =p
Top answer
"> Let's hope the people cheered at the same time as the Pope was passing. If so, there is only one past mentioned. One past is expressed with the past simple.
- "> Let's hope the people cheered at the same time as the Pope was passing.
- If so, there is only one past mentioned.
- One past is expressed with the past simple.
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2 Answers
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<Should it be "you never thought" (simple past) and not "you had never thought" since there was no other event to use?>
you had never thought of asking before you bought this book (Two pasts are expressed by the past perfect)
<"The people had cheered when the Pope (had passed, passed) by.">
Let's hope the people cheered at
you had never thought of asking before you bought this book (Two pasts are expressed by the past perfect)
<"The people had cheered when the Pope (had passed, passed) by.">
Let's hope the people cheered at
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But don't tenses have to agree when two events are contemporaneous with one another? If the people cheering happened at the same time as the pope passing by, it would make more sense to me to have both tenses as "had been." As it stands, I see it as "people had cheered" = they finished cheering first, and then the "Pope passed by" = then the pope passes by. But I know I'm wrong...
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