Past Perfect Simple or Continous or the Simple Past

Question

She (look) "looked" worn out as if she

"travelled" all night.
I (refuse) "was refusing" to go out with him when I (heard) "heard" he (ask) "had asked" Mary out before me. We (finish) "had finished" the third game of chess when they finally (come) "came" I (not have to) " didn't have to" water the plants in the garden as it (rain) was raining all morning. After our teacher (explain) "had explained" the problem, he (go) went on to give us the homework assignment. Ann (pass) " passed her exam with flying colours because she(study) "had studied" hard for two weeks. She (be) "was" upset because her dog (run) "had run" away. Are my sentences correct? And can you find my mistakes?

Laborious · Accepted Answer

AnonymousShe (look) "looked" worn out as if she "travelled" all night.

I'd use the past perfect "had travelled" there to give the listener the impression that "travelling" had happened before the state "looked" described by the past simple tense.

AnonymousI (refuse) "was refusing" to go out with him when I (heard) "heard" he (ask) "had asked" Mary out before me.

I refused to...
he had asked.. is OK, you can also use the past simple tense here.

Anonymous We (finish) "had finished" the third game of chess when they finally (come) "came

Actually, you could use either the past perfect simple or the past simple here, so either "had finished" or "finished" is OK here, but there would a difference in the meaning. Using "had finished" would mean that you finished the third game before they came, while using the past simple "finished" would mean that you finished the third game after they arrived or at the point they arrived.

Anonymousnot have to) " didn't have to" water the plants in the garden as it (rain) was raining all morning.

But I thought you were supposed to choose between "past perfect simple", "past perfect continuous", and "past simple" only. Anyways, I'd say that any of the the these tenses, except the past simple tense. You could say "had rained" or "had been raining", or even your "was raining".

AnonymousAfter our teacher (explain) "had explained" the problem, he (go) went on to give us the homework assignment.

"Had explained" is correct, but you could also use the "past simple" here. "Past perfect" isn't really necessary here.

Anonymous Ann (pass) " passed her exam with flying colours because she(study) "had studied" hard for two weeks.

OK.

AnonymousShe (be) "was" upset because her dog (run) "had run" away.

OK.

Past Perfect Simple or Continous or the Simple Past

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