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Marix998 Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Misplaced guilt led her into charity work and a modest lifestyle, though she had retained/retained a weakness for Italian shoes.
Hello,
I have been reading a book and there was a sentence with past perfect (bold). I know that past perfect could signal some kind of change in the narrative...but I am not sure whether I can consider this as a change. What about the simple past, would it be correct to use only the simple past?
It was the second time in her young life that she had unwillingly profited from the death of loved ones, and she could scarcely bring herself to think about the money, much less put a dent in it. Misplaced guilt led her into charity work and a modest lifestyle, though she had retained a weakness for Italian shoes. Joey Wheeler hoped someday to establish a regular life among regular people, or at least to find out if such an existence was possible.
thank you
BR
I have been reading a book and there was a sentence with past perfect (bold). I know that past perfect could signal some kind of change in the narrative...but I am not sure whether I can consider this as a change. What about the simple past, would it be correct to use only the simple past?
It was the second time in her young life that she had unwillingly profited from the death of loved ones, and she could scarcely bring herself to think about the money, much less put a dent in it. Misplaced guilt led her into charity work and a modest lifestyle, though she had retained a weakness for Italian shoes. Joey Wheeler hoped someday to establish a regular life among regular people, or at least to find out if such an existence was possible.
thank you
BR
Top answer
The writer meant that back when she came into the money, and she went through the mental changes that led her to be what she is now, she never let go of her shoe thing. If you want it to mean that even now she still had the weakness, use the present.
- The writer meant that back when she came into the money, and she went through the mental changes that led her to be what she is now, she never let go of her shoe thing.
- If you want it to mean that even now she still had the weakness, use the present.
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3 Answers
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The writer meant that back when she came into the money, and she went through the mental changes that led her to be what she is now, she never let go of her shoe thing. If you want it to mean that even now she still had the weakness, use the present.
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thank you for your response
I mean there is past simple - led and then past perfect- had retained. Why is there had retained (past perfect) instead of retained (past simple). What would be the difference in meaning between had retained and retained in this sentence?
It was the second time in her young life that she had unwillingly profited from the death of loved ones, and she
I mean there is past simple - led and then past perfect- had retained. Why is there had retained (past perfect) instead of retained (past simple). What would be the difference in meaning between had retained and retained in this sentence?
It was the second time in her young life that she had unwillingly profited from the death of loved ones, and she
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marix998I mean there is past simple - led and then past perfect- had retained. Why is there had retained (past perfect) instead of retained (past simple). What would be the difference in meaning between had retained and retained in this sentence?I answered that. Read my first reply again. The writer made a choice, and it was a good one. The writer did not wan
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