They had been married for 20 years vs They were married for 20 years
Teachers, could you please tell me the difference between these two sentences?
1. They had been married for 20 years.
2. They were married for 20 years.
Top answer
Laborious 1. They had been married for 20 years. The past continuous is probably being used for something that started in the past and continued up to a given time in the past.
- Laborious 1.
- They had been married for 20 years.
- The past continuous is probably being used for something that started in the past and continued up to a given time in the past.
- When George died, he and Emily had been married for twenty years.
- Laborious 2.
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Laborious1. They had been married for 20 years.
The past continuous is probably being used for something that started in the past and continued up to a given time in the past.
When George died, he and Emily had been married for twenty years.
Laborious2.
0As always with the past perfect, it needs to be relative to a reference point in the past. For example, "It was 1999. They had been married for 20 years."
The second sentence refers to a completed 20-year period in the past. It does not need the "reference point" context of the first.
0
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