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Marui Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Past Perfect Tense
Hi, I am so confused with the English tTenses especially the past perfect tense. I was taught that we can use it to describe two actions that happened in the past and that we use the past perfect for the earliest action.
But can we use the past perfect to describe just one action that happened in the past? This sentence, for instance:
Rodel had driven 120 miles per hour.
Is this correct? Is it still considered in the past perfect tense or do I have to add info like when it happened for it to qualify as past perfect?
And how is the past perfect different from the simple past tense?
Please help. Thank you.
But can we use the past perfect to describe just one action that happened in the past? This sentence, for instance:
Rodel had driven 120 miles per hour.
Is this correct? Is it still considered in the past perfect tense or do I have to add info like when it happened for it to qualify as past perfect?
And how is the past perfect different from the simple past tense?
Please help. Thank you.
Top answer
-- No, not without some contextual reference to another past event: Rodel had been driving 120 miles per hour for thirty minutes when he hit the tree. -- Past perfect is used to make clear or emphasize the chronology of two past events; simple past is not.
- -- No, not without some contextual reference to another past event: Rodel had been driving 120 miles per hour for thirty minutes when he hit the tree.
- -- Past perfect is used to make clear or emphasize the chronology of two past events; simple past is not.
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3 Answers
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But can we use the past perfect to describe just one action that happened in the past?-- No, not without some contextual reference to another past event:
Rodel had been driving 120 miles per hour for thirty minutes when he hit the tree.
And how is the past perfect different from the simple past tense?-- Past perfect is used to make clear or emphasize the
Rodel had been driving 120 miles per hour for thirty minutes when he hit the tree.
And how is the past perfect different from the simple past tense?-- Past perfect is used to make clear or emphasize the
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yes. your example is correct. Just remember that the action that you are discribing happend before another action also in the past.
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MaruiRodel had driven 120 miles per hour.It is correct. It contains the past perfect tense; therefore it is considered to be in the past perfect tense whether you add more information or not. It w
Is this correct? Is it still considered in the past perfect tense or do I have to add info like when it happened for it to qualify as past perfect?
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