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Taka Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Past perfect

Yesterday I returned the book (that) I had bought the other day,

About the part in bold, does it have to be the past perfect? Would the simple past also work?
  

Top answer

Taka Would the simple past also work? Yes. I think this is one of those cases when the past perfect tense is optional.

— RandomGuy

  • Taka Would the simple past also work?
  • Yes.
  • I think this is one of those cases when the past perfect tense is optional.
  • Without it, meaning of the sentence is still clear as day.
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6 Answers
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TakaWould the simple past also work?
Yes. I think this is one of those cases when the past perfect tense is optional. Without it, meaning of the sentence is still clear as day.
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Good.

Without 'the other day', do you think the simple past would still work?
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I don't think so. The other day seems to be the reason that the past perfect isn't needed.
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TakaWithout 'the other day', do you think the simple past would still work?
Yes. Consider the natural order of events represented by the words buy and return. Could the returning happen before the buying?

CJ
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Good. Just as I thought.

Thanks, Jim!
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Aspara Gus Without the past perfect and the other day, the reader can't tell that the book was bought before yesterday. But that isn't important.
That's what I thought at first, so I asked the question.

As long as the sequence is clear, in practice it seems to work.

Thanks for the help anyway!
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