Present Perfect/Past Perfect

Question

Could you please tell me if my sentences are correct?

We spent the evening at Mark's. We saw a film. It was the best film I had ever seen. / I had never seen a better film (before).

(I mean until this evening)

(I am with my friends, we are watching a film)
A: It is the best film I have ever seen. (the film is still on, or has just finished)

A: It was the best film I have ever seen. (the film has just finished)

Other example I have thought of:

(I am talking about my past holidays...10 years ago):
And then we went to a little Italian restaurant. The dish I are there was the best I had ever eaten. I wasn't a gourmet then.

(I mean until that moment)

If I say:
And then we went to a little Italian restaurant. The dish I are there was the best I have ever eaten.

I think I am referring it to all my life experience, until now, aren't I?

Is my understanding of present perfect/past perfect ok?

Thank you for your help!
Kind regards.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

We spent the evening at Mark's. We saw a film. It was the best film I had ever seen. / I had never seen a better film (before).-- This is either a backshift of present perfect in a past narrative (presumably you will continue to watch films in the future) or you have seen a better film since then.

A: It is the best film I have ever seen. (the film is still on, or has just finished -- No, the point is that so far it is the best, but you may see a better one in the future.)
A: It was the best film I have ever seen. (the film has just finished-- Not the point; see above.)

And then we went to a little Italian restaurant. The dish I ate there was the best I had ever eaten. I wasn't a gourmet then. (I mean until that moment)-- As above: you have either eaten better since, or 'had eaten' is backshifted 'have eaten' with the past narrative.

And then we went to a little Italian restaurant. The dish I ate there was the best I have ever eaten.
I think I am referring it to all my life experience, until now, aren't I?- Yes, you still have not eaten a better dish.

Is my understanding of present perfect/past perfect ok?-- Maybe.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

The dish I ate there was the best I had ever eaten.
The dish I ate there was the best I have ever eaten.

I think I am referring it to all my life experience, until now, aren't I? yes
Is my understanding of present perfect/past perfect ok? yes.

Coincidence · Answer

Thank you for the explanations

"A: It is the best film I have ever seen. (the film is still on, or has just finished -- No, the point is that so far it is the best, but you may see a better one in the future.)
A: It was the best film I have ever seen. (the film has just finished-- Not the point; see above.)"

Yes, I know it is about the present perfect (tense joining the past and the present; used to talk about life experience, for example)

I wrote "the film is still on has just finished" and "the film has just finished" as I was not sure, if I should say
"it is' or 'it was'.
I have always seen such sentences as :

It is the best film I have ever seen., (the film is still on or just finished)
but I have seen recently:
It was the best film I have ever seen.
(If I understand well, it is either about a film I saw long ago or about a film which has just finished)
Similarily:
It is the best dish I have ever eaten. (I am still eating it ot just finished)
It was the best dish I have ever eaten. (I have already eaten it or in a past narrative - a dish I ate long time ago)

Thank you for your explanations

Kind regards!

Coincidence · Answer

Thank you for your explanations

I am a bit confused about all the explanations..
Do I understand it well?

If I want to refer only to the period up to the moment when I made sth/saw sth/ate sth/exeperienced sth, etc. in the past:
I can use the past perfect:

It was the prettiest necklace I had ever made. I took up handicraft seriously after this moment.
It was the prettiest necklace I had made (until this day). I seriously took up handnicraft after this moment.

(I have made prettier necklaces since then, but at that moment it was the best one)

If I say:
It was the best necklace I have ever made.
(It was the best necklace in all my 'career', up to the present)

Thank you for your help.
Best regards.

Mister Micawber · Answer

If I want to refer only to the period up to the moment when I made sth/saw sth/ate sth/exeperienced sth, etc. in the past:I can use the past perfect-- Yes.

It was the prettiest necklace I had ever made (until that day). I took up handicraft seriously after that moment in the past.(I have made prettier necklaces since then, but at that moment it was the best one)

It was the prettiest necklace I have made (until this day). I seriously took up handnicraft after this moment NOW.

It was the best necklace I have ever made.
(It was the best necklace in all my 'career', up to the present-- Yes.)

Coincidence · Answer

Thank you very much for your help

Best regards!

Present Perfect/Past Perfect

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