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Abdul Kaium Tanvir Posted 9 years ago
Grammar

Tense

1.They were in hide for 5 years.

I saw this line on BBC news. But to me -

2.They had been in hide for 5 years.

Which one is right?

Is it a must to use perfect tense with 'for/since'?

  

Top answer

I think you mean this: 1. They were in hiding for 5 years. 2.

— GPY

  • I think you mean this: 1.
  • They were in hiding for 5 years.
  • 2.
  • They had been in hiding for 5 years.
  • Both are correct.
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1 Answers
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I think you mean this:

1. They were in hiding for 5 years.
2. They had been in hiding for 5 years.

Both are correct. (1) is just talking about a past period of time. (2) means that they were still in hiding, or had only very recently left hiding, as of a particular reference point in the past that is mentioned in the context. For example, "It was March 1999. They

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