Past Perfect Tense Hello everyone. I want to ask you guys something. How can I know where to use "past perfect tense"? I mean they teach us: an event occured in past and another event occured before t

Doğucan

Past Perfect Tense Hello everyone. I want to ask you guys something. How can I know where to use "past perfect tense"? I mean they teach us: an event occured in past and another event occured before that event so we use past perfect for that. Is it necessary to be another event? I ask it because sometimes I have to have some tests in English and cant decide wheter if I use past perfect or only past. I'm waiting for your answers :D

Apr 18, 2014 9:46 PM

Answers · 7

Something other than an event? What do you mean? Are you asking if you can say something like: Sherry had already been a mother for four years when Jane gave birth to her first child.

April 18, 2014

If you're testing for past perfect, then use that. I will say that in most occasions simply using the past tense is usually acceptable. "Sherry was a mother for four years before Jane gave birth to her first child." is just as acceptable (and a bit more natural sounding, in my opinion) as "Sherry had already been a mother for four years when Jane gave birth to her first child."

April 19, 2014

Still haven’t found your answers?

Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!