Questions about Past Perfect tense
7
votes
7answers
9k views
What does “had had” mean? How does this differ from “had”?
For example, what is the difference between the following two sentences:
I had a bad day
I had had a bad day
10
votes
2answers
5k views
Why do people sometimes use the past perfect form of a verb when the past would suffice? (e.g. “you had mentioned”)
I noticed that my American friends tend to use the past perfect form when they use the verb mention in its past form, almost despite of the context of the sentence. I hear them say
"you had ...
2
votes
1answer
20k views
where should we use has/have been and had been?
Where should we use "has/have been" and "had been"? What is the difference between
them?
5
votes
4answers
153 views
Can I separate events with period to form past perfect?
Can I say the following?
The doorbell rang. He had finished his meal.
I know I could join the sentences into one sentence to get the same meaning. I want to know if this would be correct if I ...
3
votes
1answer
912 views
Speculative conditional: Why does it use the past tense or past perfect tense?
We use simple past to state a hypothetical present situation that we would like to speculate about (If they were here, I would be happy), past perfect for a hypothetical past (had they been here, I ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
“Would have had to have been” vs “would have had to be” for past event conditions
I instinctively said
I would have had to have been over 180 lbs for that to have happened.
I thought that seemed overly wordy. Too many "have"s and "had"s. So I tried:
I would have had to be ...
0
votes
1answer
976 views
When to use 'had been' + past participle of the verb
I read the sentence below in a news article:
"The couple had been engaged since the summer," her spokeswoman said in a statement.
Why was "had been engaged" used in this sentence. Is it wrong to ...
0
votes
2answers
106 views
Is past perfect necessary in the following
I read the following on abcnews, but couldn't convince myself to accept the past perfect form the sentence. What is the action before which the 'had mailed' part has occurred and completed? And why ...
2
votes
2answers
299 views
Past perfect sentence in “I would have killed the snake if I had hit him…”
Is the following a correct past perfect sentence?
I would have killed the snake if I had hit him hard with a stick.
2
votes
2answers
448 views
Should the past perfect be eschewed?
The past perfect serves a purpose: When describing things that happened in the past, it allows us to discuss things that happened before (i.e., in the past’s past). However, a procession of had, had, ...
1
vote
2answers
472 views
Verb Forms and Their Usage
What is meant by "present perfect", "past perfect", and "future perfect" verbs? How can I identify them or know which is which?
9
votes
1answer
520 views
“You were already having been going to do that!”
From one of the Futurama episodes:
Farnsworth A: You people and your
slight differences disgust me. I'm
going home. Where's that blue box with
our universe in it?
Farnsworth 1: Oh,
...
6
votes
5answers
2k views
Is this correct: “I'd have to have had…”
This sentence makes my head hurt a bit, and it doesn't seem right, but perhaps you guys could help me sort it out.
"If I would've gone to Canada, I'd have to have had some kind of winter gear."
2
votes
2answers
1k views
“Until” and past perfect
Having seen one sentence in "Practical English Usage" by M.Swan (a very popular grammar book), I was really puzzled.
I waited until the rain had stopped.
The past perfect is generally used to ...
1
vote
3answers
221 views
Past perfect or past simple in combination with present perfect?
Suppose I received a document from my colleague, studied it and then gave him feedback in a letter. How should I construct the following sentense?
I have examined the document you gave me and...
...
0
votes
2answers
182 views
“Had been engaged when they married” vs. “were married” vs. “had married”
Which of the sentences below are grammatically correct?
The couple had been engaged for five years when they married.
The couple had been engaged for five years when they were married.
The ...
-2
votes
3answers
4k views
“I met” vs “I've met” [closed]
What's the difference between the following?
I met him in the UK.
I've met him in the UK.
Does the second sentence mean that the event was happened recently?
