which one is correct

Question

there were several studis [ had / have ] described that term.waaht are the differences?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

poci_wasiats there were several studis [ had / have ] described that term. waaht are the differences?

There are several studies which have described that term.

There were several studies which had described that term.

Sometimes we use "studies" to describe the research process, and sometimes to describe the report of the reasearch and of the conclusions.

When speaking of the report, we'd use the present tense. There are several studies available on that subject. ('The reports continue to exist.)

Since you use the past tense "there were several studies" the reasearch work has been completed. My choice would be simple past for what they did.

Several studied were made / have been made which described that term. You could also use a participial phrase: Several studies have been made describing that term, but that seems to suggest the studies did nothing else.

In the case of your example, "have described" would mean the same thing as "described." "Had described" may only be used if there's an earlier reference somewhere to a past time:

Before the new technology and the new terminology were developed, several studies were made which had described that term

But it seems unlikely anyone would put it this way. They'd probably say, "several studies had been made which described / had described that term."

- A.

Edit. Sorry to drag this on and on, but after sleeping on it I realize there's no way your second version can be correct. The studies were done in the simple past. So the describing of the term must also have been done in the simple past, and cannot have preceded the studies. Anything which takes place in the past perfect must occur before anything which takes place in the simple past.

which one is correct

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