Past Indefinite or Past Perfect Tense

Question

If I want to use Past Perfect Tense, are my sentences grammatically correct?Sentences -I hadn't finished my meal.Anthony hadn't had a day off for months.They had not eaten for five hours.I had just eaten.Where had she gone?We were too late. The train had left.As far I know there should be two incidents in the past to use Past Perfect Tense.Note: Those sentences are collected from an educational website.https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_past-perfect.htm

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

AyonkhanIf I want to use Past Perfect Tense, are my sentences grammatically correct?

Yes, they are all grammatically correct.

AyonkhanAs far I know there should be two incidents in the past to use Past Perfect Tense.

Yes, but that's a matter of whether it is appropriate to use a past perfect tense within a given context. It's not a matter of grammatical correctness.

My point is that "grammatical" and "appropriate" are two different things.

To check for appropriateness, note that the reference event in the past has to be established in the text before the past perfect will make sense. This can be, and often is, in another sentence which precedes the sentence with the past perfect, although it can also be in a different clause in the same sentence with the past perfect.

Only your last example has enough text to show that the past perfect is appropriate there.

CJ

Past Indefinite or Past Perfect Tense

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