The Past Simple or The Past Perfect?

Wrong word.

1. I told my boss what I really thought of him.
2. I had told my boss what I really thought of him.

VoytaszekWhy did they fire you?

1. I told my boss what I really thought of him.

Why the first one? Because the sequence is obvious?

I`m asking because in the same situation we use The Past Perfect in Spanish. I`m not a Spaniard or Latino but I`m studying Spanish also and I was just wondering if there is a similarity here.

VoytaszekWhy the first one? Because the sequence is obvious?

Yes. Past perfect is relatively rare in English.

Notice also that where English uses past perfect, Spanish usually uses imperfect ('hacía...que'), not pluperfect ('haber').

VoytaszekBecause the sequence is obvious?

There isn't really much of a sequence there. You told him at a certain time what you thought of him at that same time. 'had told' would put the telling before the thinking, and that's pretty much impossible.

CJ

VoytaszekI`m asking because in the same situation we use The Past Perfect in Spanish.

I t

Thank you for your replies, guys.

And what about this situation?

-Why did they suspended you?
1. Because I didn`t pass an exam.
2. Because I hadn`t passed an exam.

Voytaszek-Why did they suspended suspend you?

After auxiliary do (do, does, did), you must use the plain form of the verb.

Because I didn't pass an exam is the more appropriate answer. hadn't passed is not wrong, however.

CJ

CalifJimThere isn't really much of a sequence there. You told him at a certain time what you thought of him at that same time. 'had told' would put the telling before the thinking, and that's pretty much impossible.

I wonder whether such a sequence of tenses is possible:

Before I had told him what I thought of him he fired me.

It is possible.

fivejedjonIt is possible.

Thank you for the reply.