Past simple or perfect
A: "Where's Steve?"
B: "He went to thank the man who helped us fix our car."
B: "He went to thank the man who had helped us fix our car."
Are both the past perfect and simple correct here? Thanks.
Top answer
I don`t think you need the past perfect here, because the first sentence is fine, there is no ambiguity. The past perfect is used when you want to make clear that something happened or finished before a point in the past. For example: the man had already fixed our car when we stopped by.
- I don`t think you need the past perfect here, because the first sentence is fine, there is no ambiguity.
- The past perfect is used when you want to make clear that something happened or finished before a point in the past.
- For example: the man had already fixed our car when we stopped by.
- By the time we stopped by the car had been fixed.
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I don`t think you need the past perfect here, because the first sentence is fine, there is no ambiguity. The past perfect is used when you want to make clear that something happened or finished before a point in the past. For example: the man had already fixed our car when we stopped by. By the time we stopped by the car had been fixed.
0NecrophagistAre both the past perfect and simple correct here?
Yes, but few people would use the past perfect in that situation.
(I see it's still "Past Perfect Month" for you.
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