0
Lucas21c Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Tense

1. Could you tell me what the difference is between the following sentences? And, which one sounds more common or natural between them?

1A. He told me the reason he said so.
1B. He told me the reason he had said so.

2. Which one is right among the following sentences?

2A. Whoever had done that was not me.
2B. Whoever did that was not me.
2C. Whoever did that is not me.
  

Top answer

Both 1A and 1B sound natural. , 1B makes use of the past perfect, which can be called "a previous past tense," meaning that what happened in the past perfect took place before some other past event. Let's suppose I am waiting for a call from my brother.

— Englishmaven

  • Both 1A and 1B sound natural.
  • , 1B makes use of the past perfect, which can be called "a previous past tense," meaning that what happened in the past perfect took place before some other past event.
  • Let's suppose I am waiting for a call from my brother.
  • I keep asking the secretary if my brother has called yet, from the time I arrived at work until right now.
  • The secretary tells me that he hasn't called at all.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

1 Answers
0
Both 1A and 1B sound natural. I guess you could make the argument that 1B sounds less natural because it is not quite as commonly used as 1A, but both sentences are good.,

1B makes use of the past perfect, which can be called "a previous past tense," meaning that what happened in the past perfect took place before some other past event.

Let's suppose I am waiting for a call from
0

Related Questions