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PreciousJones Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Past perfect
I'm talking to my friend who returned recently from Dubai that doesn't recognize the city anymore.
I say:
You had been gone for too long, that's why! Or
You were gone for too long, that's why! Or
You've been gone for too long, that's why!
Which ones are useable and why is it incorrect?
Thank you.
I say:
You had been gone for too long, that's why! Or
You were gone for too long, that's why! Or
You've been gone for too long, that's why!
Which ones are useable and why is it incorrect?
Thank you.
Top answer
The first one is wrong; the other two are OK.
- The first one is wrong; the other two are OK.
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4 Answers
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I'm not a native speaker but I'll try to help (I'm changing the sentences slightly so you understand the difference):
You had been gone (for) too long, so you couldn't recognize the city anymore. - Past.
You were gone (for) too long, so you can't recognize the city anymore. - Present.
You've been gone (for) too long, so you can't recognize the city anymore. - Same thing as #2. Both are
You had been gone (for) too long, so you couldn't recognize the city anymore. - Past.
You were gone (for) too long, so you can't recognize the city anymore. - Present.
You've been gone (for) too long, so you can't recognize the city anymore. - Same thing as #2. Both are
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Mister MicawberThe first one is wrong; the other two are OK.He's back in his hometown, so why can't I use the past perfect tense?
He's been gone for too long. And now he's back so doesn't that describe a past situation before another past situation?
Past(had been gone) - Past(returned recently) - Present(we're at dinner some
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Hello there.
I am not a native speaker aswell , but the past perfect is used to describe actions that took place in the past.
for excample: " I went to Oklahoma after i had graduated" . 'Therefore i believe that you can not set past perfect in a sentence with present tense. yet i didnt understand it thoroughly too.
I am not a native speaker aswell , but the past perfect is used to describe actions that took place in the past.
for excample: " I went to Oklahoma after i had graduated" . 'Therefore i believe that you can not set past perfect in a sentence with present tense. yet i didnt understand it thoroughly too.
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