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SebastianWriter Posted 8 years ago
Grammar

Past perfect or simple past?

Hi!

I have a big problem with the past perfect. Could you please help? Generally, I understand the difference as the simple past is about events that happened in the past and past perfect is about events that had happened even before the past events and had ended. But sometimes this gets really confusing for me. I am providing two examples:

"It seemed that house, when it was new, had been pretty luxurious.'' or ''It seemed that house, when it had been new, had been pretty luxurious.''


''I ran back across the meadow and along the railroad. I must had been very dreamy the day before when I strolled all this distance.'' or ''I ran back across the meadow and along the railroad. I must had been very dreamy the day before when I had strolled all this distance.''

Is it always necessary to use past perfect even if I use clause "when''? If I follow grammar rules, I think, I have to use had in the clause, but it just doesn't sound right. Maybe all variants provided by me are incorrect or maybe sometimes I can use both options? If it is like that, could you please offer me better way how to write these sentences? Please help.

  

Top answer

'' The house was pretty luxurious at the same time that it was new, so your tenses are not correct. It seemed that the house, when it was new, was pretty luxurious. ''I ran back across the meadow and along the railroad.

— Englishmaven

  • '' The house was pretty luxurious at the same time that it was new, so your tenses are not correct.
  • It seemed that the house, when it was new, was pretty luxurious.
  • ''I ran back across the meadow and along the railroad.
  • '' or ''I ran back across the meadow and along the railroad.
  • " Additionally, your example is not a previous past, a past before another past because it takes place at the same time as the other event.
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2 Answers
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"It seemed that house, when it was new, had been pretty luxurious.'' or ''It seemed that house, when it had been new, had been pretty luxurious.''

The house was pretty luxurious at the same time that it was new, so your tenses are not correct.It seemed that the house, when it was new, was pretty luxurious.

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SebastianWriterIt seemed that

I'd write

It seemed that the house had been luxurious when it was new.

SebastianWriterI ran back

I'd write

I ran back across the meadow and along the railroad. I must have been [distracted/preoccupied] the day before, wh

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