Stating facts and depicting past events
Suppose I was talking to a friend. I start talking about something that happened a long time ago concerning another friend and me. He asks: " Why did you help him?" What am I supposed to say to that?
We've been friends for years so it wasn't a problem.
We'd been friends for years so it wasn't a problem.
What's the difference? To me, the first one is best used when you want to describe a past event. However, the second one sounds fine to me too because "We've been friends" sounds like you're stating a fact that is still true instead of trying to describe an event. Am I wrong?
Top answer
Necrophagist We've been friends for years This implies that he is still alive and you are still friends. It moves the focus from the past to the present. Necrophagist We'd been friends for years This does not explicitly deny the implications of the previous form, but it would be used if he has died since then or if you are not still friends.
- Necrophagist We've been friends for years This implies that he is still alive and you are still friends.
- It moves the focus from the past to the present.
- Necrophagist We'd been friends for years This does not explicitly deny the implications of the previous form, but it would be used if he has died since then or if you are not still friends.
- That aside, the main reason for using this one is to keep the focus on the time period during which the helping occurred.
- It is not essential to your story to keep that focus, but you can if you wish.
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NecrophagistWe've been friends for years
This implies that he is still alive and you are still friends. It moves the focus from the past to the present.
NecrophagistWe'd been friends for years
This does not explicitly deny the implications of the previous form, but it would be used if he has died since then or if
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