PAST PERFECT (vs. SIMPLE PAST)
17 / 01 / 2018
Past Perfect, Simple Past
PAST PERFECT (VS. SIMPLE PAST): meaning and examples
Happy Wednesday to you all! Are you ready for day three of our Past Perfect theme?
Today we are looking at sentences that combine the PAST PERFECT with the SIMPLE PAST.
In sentences with both tenses, we know that the Past Perfect action will come before the Simple Past action. But is it always necessary to use Past Perfect in these types of sentences? Often, in sentences with specific dates (and the words "before" or "after"), either tense is correct. See the examples below to understand what I am referring to.
Example 1: I had travelled to Greece once in 2008, and again in 2012, before I moved there.
Do we need the Past Perfect tense? In this case, no; we have the dates to show us which action happened first. We can also just use the Simple Past.
Example 2: I travelled to Greece once in 2008, and again in 2012, before I moved there.
However, when we talk about non-specific times, the Past Perfect is the better choice.
Example 3: Tim had never seen a dolphin before he went to Hawaii. (correct)
Example 4: Tim never saw a dolphin before he went to Hawaii. (sounds strange)
That's all for today! Tomorrow we will learn how to place adverbs in sentences with the Past Perfect.
We'll see you then!
