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Kilimanjaro Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Past Tense vs Past Perfect Tense
Archaeological excavations at Alacahöyük have shown that the people of that part of Cappadocia had reached a high level of civilization in the third millenium B.C.
I don't understand why The Past Perfect Tense is used here. I think The Simple Past Tense would be correct as there is a past point of time (in the third millenium B.C.). Is this a mistake or am I mistaken? any other mistake in the sentence?
I don't understand why The Past Perfect Tense is used here. I think The Simple Past Tense would be correct as there is a past point of time (in the third millenium B.C.). Is this a mistake or am I mistaken? any other mistake in the sentence?
Top answer
C. I don't understand why The Past Perfect Tense is used here. ).
- C.
- I don't understand why The Past Perfect Tense is used here.
- ).
- Is this a mistake or am I mistaken?
- any other mistake in the sentence?
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7 Answers
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KilimanjaroArchaeological excavations at Alacahöyük have shown that the people of that part of Cappadocia had reached a high level of civilization in the third millenium B.C.
I don't understand why The Past Perfect Tense is used here. I think The Simple Past Tense would be correct as there is a past point of time (in the third millenium B.C.)
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Hi,
I would say that "had reached" is ok if it is clear form the context that there is a fixed point in the past and that you are referring to something that happened before that point. So, people had reached a high level of civilization... before what, before what point in the past? If it is clear, you can use the past perfect if you want. If there's no context that tells you about that poi
I would say that "had reached" is ok if it is clear form the context that there is a fixed point in the past and that you are referring to something that happened before that point. So, people had reached a high level of civilization... before what, before what point in the past? If it is clear, you can use the past perfect if you want. If there's no context that tells you about that poi
00
The more explicit meaning and what I'd use:
had reached a high level of civilization by the third millenium B.C.
if you want to mean that that kind of civilization was reached before a certain moment in the third millenium B.C.
If you don't want to mean before, simple past is of course OK.
had reached a high level of civilization by the third millenium B.C.
if you want to mean that that kind of civilization was reached before a certain moment in the third millenium B.C.
If you don't want to mean before, simple past is of course OK.
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Marius HancuThe more explicit meaning and what I'd use:
had reached a high level of civilization by the third millenium B.C.
if you want to mean that that kind of civilization was reached before a certain moment in the third millenium B.C.
If you don't want to mean before, simple past is of course OK.
00
No, they don't mean the same.
by 2732 BC: before 2732 BC
in 2732 BC: during 2732 BC
in the 3rd millenium: during the 3rd millenium, at a time during the 3rd millenium
had reached: they (had) reached it (already) before a time in the 3rd millenium
reached: they reached it during the 3r
by 2732 BC: before 2732 BC
in 2732 BC: during 2732 BC
in the 3rd millenium: during the 3rd millenium, at a time during the 3rd millenium
had reached: they (had) reached it (already) before a time in the 3rd millenium
reached: they reached it during the 3r
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Archaeological excavations at Alacahöyük have shown that the people of that part of Cappadocia had reached a high level of civilization in the third millenium B.C.
Like Marius, I would change in to by. Otherwise, I see no point in using the past perfect.
Excavations [show / have shown] that those people reached a high level of civilization
Like Marius, I would change in to by. Otherwise, I see no point in using the past perfect.
Excavations [show / have shown] that those people reached a high level of civilization
00
Isn't it perspective of the reader? Archaeological excavations at Alacahöyük showed that the people of that part of Cappadocia reached a high level of civilization in the third millenium B.C.
This suggests the showing all happened in the past AND that the reader is not considering them now. Some reader in the past might have considered it, but none is today.
:-
This suggests the showing all happened in the past AND that the reader is not considering them now. Some reader in the past might have considered it, but none is today.
:-
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