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LoveCZ Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
Is " was purchased " past perfect tense?
I really wondered about it...
In my text book, there are examples about how to use past perfect tense. Like :
I had eaten the cake before I went to sleep.
He has done his work and went to play computer games.
And then today when I was reading my book, I saw an example is like :
Until the new software was purchased, the staff had struggled to keep the accounts records up to date.
In the above example, "was purchased" this possible past perfect tense is followed by "had struggled" this past perfect tense. My teacher taught me that we use past perfect tense to state something which happened firstly and past tense to something that happened after. So I thought the last example should have used "is purchased" this past tense instead of "was purchased" this past perfect, am I right?
In my text book, there are examples about how to use past perfect tense. Like :
I had eaten the cake before I went to sleep.
He has done his work and went to play computer games.
And then today when I was reading my book, I saw an example is like :
Until the new software was purchased, the staff had struggled to keep the accounts records up to date.
In the above example, "was purchased" this possible past perfect tense is followed by "had struggled" this past perfect tense. My teacher taught me that we use past perfect tense to state something which happened firstly and past tense to something that happened after. So I thought the last example should have used "is purchased" this past tense instead of "was purchased" this past perfect, am I right?
Top answer
Hi, loveCZ Until the new software was purchased, the staff had struggled to keep the accounts records up to date. In the above example, "was purchased" this possible past perfect tense is followed by "had struggled" this past perfect tense. My teacher taught me that we use past perfect tense to state something which happened firstly and past tense to something that happened after.
- Hi, loveCZ Until the new software was purchased, the staff had struggled to keep the accounts records up to date.
- In the above example, "was purchased" this possible past perfect tense is followed by "had struggled" this past perfect tense.
- My teacher taught me that we use past perfect tense to state something which happened firstly and past tense to something that happened after.
- So I thought the last example should have used "is purchased" this past tense instead of "was purchased" this past perfect, am I right?
- First thing first, let's give the verb forms their correct names.
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4 Answers
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Hi,
loveCZUntil the new software was purchased, the staff had struggled to keep the accounts records up to date.
In the above example, "was purchased" this possiblepast perfect tenseis followed by "had struggled" this past perfect tense. My teacher taught me that we use past perfect tense to state something which happened firstly and past tense
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Oh Right! Now I understand more about tenses. Had + pp = Past Perfect, or else like "was done","was brought","was born" are also simple past,am I right?
Thanks so much
Thanks so much
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Hi
loveCZHad + pp = Past Perfect
loveCZ "was done","was brought","was born" are simple pastBoth correct.
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Until the new software was purchased [by someone], the staff has struggled to keep the account record up to day.
Was purchased = indirect speed not past perfect in this case.
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