Past Perfect Again

Question

Pemmican The Past Perfect expresses an action or event that took place and had been finished in the past, already before another action took place. The more recent action is expressed in the Simple Past:
After I had been to school, I visited my friend.
Before I went to my friend, I had been to school.

Dear Teachers,

SpeakerA says, “This website is full of English mistakes.”
SpeakerB says, “I just found this website. I’ve not looked at it much yet. I studied English using another website.”

The SpeakerB replied using the past simple in “I studied English using another website.” I’m not sure I chose it right. Should have I said “I had studied English using another website” using the past perfect? So far, I’ve been using the past perfect when we are already talking about the past, and want to talk about an earlier past for a moment.

I have read about the past perfect so much that I’m surprised to learn that it should be used here. I really don’t understand it. Please, help me to understand the sentence I wrote.

SFB

Goldmund · Accepted Answer

It is an interesting question.

Speaker B says

"I just found this website."

*He found the website recently. In British English you may also say «I have just found this website».

"I’ve not looked at it much yet."

*He expects to look at it again, therefore he uses the present perfect. The present perfect means that the act of looking at the website relates to the present.

"I studied English using another website."

*The simple past is correct. His studies are finished. Therefore they do not relate to looking at this website. Therefore there is no need to denote the temporal relationship between studying English and looking at this website.

Kind regards,

Goldmund

SpoonfedBaby · Answer

Goldmund
Speaker B says

"I just found this website."

*He found the website recently. In British English you may also say «I have just found this website».

"I’ve not looked at it much yet."

*He expects to look at it again, therefore he uses the present perfect. The present perfect means that the act of looking at the website relates to the present.

"I studied English using another website."

*The simple past is correct. His studies are finished. Therefore they do not relate to looking at this website. Therefore there is no need to denote the temporal relationship between studying English and looking at this website.

Hello Goldmund,

I have difficulty in understanding the last paragraph of your explanation. Please, would it write it again in another way? I think there is something under my eyes that I'm missing because of my lack of comprehension.

The speakerB was me. [P]

I may go back studying English using the website I (referred /was referring?) to in the sentence “I studied English using another website.” If I don’t find another good website, I will go back there. I still need to study English. But as you said, the study I mentioned is not related to the new website I have just found. Now, that you know that I still need to improve on my English, can I still keep the verb tenses as they are in this short dialogue?

Here is the dialogue again (but with "I've just found" instead of "I just found.")

SpeakerA says, “This website is full of English mistakes.”
SpeakerB says, “I've just found this website. I’ve not looked at it much yet. I studied English using another website.”

Many thanks,

SFB

Goldmund · Answer

Dear SpoonFedBaby,

Your meaning is now clear to me. Speaker B has not concluded his study of English. The simple past is therefore incorrect.

Here is my amendment.

SpeakerA says, "The English on this website is full of mistakes."

SpeakerB says, "I've only just found this website. I’ve not looked at it much yet. I have been studying English on another website."

It is now in the present perfect progressive tense. It expresses an action that began in the past and continues in the present.

Kind regards,

Goldmund

SpoonfedBaby · Answer

Dear goldmund,

Please, allow me to ask three other questions concerning this situation.

"I've only just found this new website. I’ve not looked at it much yet. I have been studying English on another website."

( A ) Do I need to change the verb tense of "I have been studying" in this sentence if I'm sure that I won't go back to the previous website (the one I have been using to study English)?

( B ) Do I need to change the verb tense of "I have been studying" in this sentence if the last time I studied English was a while ago and I won't study English anymore?

( C ) Do I need to change the verb tense of "I have been studying" in this sentence if the last time I studied English with this website was a while ago but I have never stopped studying English?

Thank you very much for your time,

SFB

Goldmund · Answer

Dear SpoonfedBaby,

( A ) If you wish to make it clear that you do not intend to return to the old website, you may say:

«I've only just found this new website. I’ve not looked at it much yet. I was previously studying English on another website."

( B ) If you do not intend to pursue your study of English, you may say:

«I've only just found this new website. I’ve not looked at it much yet. I studied English on another website.»

It is clearer that you no longer study English if you say «I learnt English».

( C ) If you no longer use the website but still study, you may say the same as A or:

«I've only just found this new website. I’ve not looked at it much yet. I used to study English on another website.»

Kind regards,

Goldmund

SpoonfedBaby · Answer

I got it. Thank you very much, goldmund.

Past Perfect Again

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