Using Past-Perfect interchangeably with the Past ContinuousPast Progressive + BEFORE/AFTER + Gerundpast perfect necessary herePast perfect in “after” and “before” clausesSimple past, Present perfect Past perfectWhy is the past perfect continuous connected to the present?Past perfect and Past perfect continuousIs past perfect necessary in 'It had been here before we came.'?The only use of past perfect tense is to distinguish which event happened first in the past?The past tense instead of the past perfect tensePast Perfect or Present Perfect for the verb “Think”?past perfect continous for an action that has recently stopped?
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Using Past-Perfect interchangeably with the Past Continuous
Past Progressive + BEFORE/AFTER + Gerundpast perfect necessary herePast perfect in “after” and “before” clausesSimple past, Present perfect Past perfectWhy is the past perfect continuous connected to the present?Past perfect and Past perfect continuousIs past perfect necessary in 'It had been here before we came.'?The only use of past perfect tense is to distinguish which event happened first in the past?The past tense instead of the past perfect tensePast Perfect or Present Perfect for the verb “Think”?past perfect continous for an action that has recently stopped?
I've seen this sentence in another post here:
- Tom Cruise was thinking of a career in the church before finding a job in the movies.
Would it be fine to use the Past-Perfect as well? If so, which tense is better?
Here are a few options that came to my mind:
- Tom Cruise had been thinking of a career in the church before finding a job in the movies.
or
- Tom Cruise had been thinking of a career in the church before he found a job in the movies.
- Tom Cruise had thought of a career in the church before he found a job in the movies.
past-perfect past-perfect-continuous
asked 57 mins ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
454
add a comment |
I've seen this sentence in another post here:
- Tom Cruise was thinking of a career in the church before finding a job in the movies.
Would it be fine to use the Past-Perfect as well? If so, which tense is better?
Here are a few options that came to my mind:
- Tom Cruise had been thinking of a career in the church before finding a job in the movies.
or
- Tom Cruise had been thinking of a career in the church before he found a job in the movies.
- Tom Cruise had thought of a career in the church before he found a job in the movies.
past-perfect past-perfect-continuous
asked 57 mins ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
454
add a comment |
I've seen this sentence in another post here:
- Tom Cruise was thinking of a career in the church before finding a job in the movies.
Would it be fine to use the Past-Perfect as well? If so, which tense is better?
Here are a few options that came to my mind:
- Tom Cruise had been thinking of a career in the church before finding a job in the movies.
or
- Tom Cruise had been thinking of a career in the church before he found a job in the movies.
- Tom Cruise had thought of a career in the church before he found a job in the movies.
past-perfect past-perfect-continuous
asked 57 mins ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
454
I've seen this sentence in another post here:
- Tom Cruise was thinking of a career in the church before finding a job in the movies.
Would it be fine to use the Past-Perfect as well? If so, which tense is better?
Here are a few options that came to my mind:
- Tom Cruise had been thinking of a career in the church before finding a job in the movies.
or
- Tom Cruise had been thinking of a career in the church before he found a job in the movies.
- Tom Cruise had thought of a career in the church before he found a job in the movies.
past-perfect past-perfect-continuous
past-perfect past-perfect-continuous
asked 57 mins ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
454
asked 57 mins ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
454
edited 27 mins ago
SunnySideDown
asked 57 mins ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
454
asked 57 mins ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
454
asked 57 mins ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
454
454
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
All three of these sentences are grammatical as well. The past perfect tense is no better than the simple past tense in this situation; they're equally good. The word before tells you that the thinking happened, and then the finding happened afterwards.
answered 51 mins ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,098511
add a comment |
All of these are perfectly acceptable. The forms using "had been thinking" suggest a process of thought which extended over some time, but ended, either when the job was found, or before that. The for with "had thought" suggests a single instance of thought that occurred before the job was found.
But many native speakers will not make these fine distinctions, and may use any of the four forms in the question interchangeably, with no difference of meaning.
answered 40 mins ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
3746
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
All three of these sentences are grammatical as well. The past perfect tense is no better than the simple past tense in this situation; they're equally good. The word before tells you that the thinking happened, and then the finding happened afterwards.
answered 51 mins ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,098511
add a comment |
All three of these sentences are grammatical as well. The past perfect tense is no better than the simple past tense in this situation; they're equally good. The word before tells you that the thinking happened, and then the finding happened afterwards.
answered 51 mins ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,098511
add a comment |
All three of these sentences are grammatical as well. The past perfect tense is no better than the simple past tense in this situation; they're equally good. The word before tells you that the thinking happened, and then the finding happened afterwards.
answered 51 mins ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,098511
All three of these sentences are grammatical as well. The past perfect tense is no better than the simple past tense in this situation; they're equally good. The word before tells you that the thinking happened, and then the finding happened afterwards.
answered 51 mins ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,098511
answered 51 mins ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,098511
answered 51 mins ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,098511
answered 51 mins ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,098511
3,098511
add a comment |
add a comment |
All of these are perfectly acceptable. The forms using "had been thinking" suggest a process of thought which extended over some time, but ended, either when the job was found, or before that. The for with "had thought" suggests a single instance of thought that occurred before the job was found.
But many native speakers will not make these fine distinctions, and may use any of the four forms in the question interchangeably, with no difference of meaning.
answered 40 mins ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
3746
New contributor
David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
All of these are perfectly acceptable. The forms using "had been thinking" suggest a process of thought which extended over some time, but ended, either when the job was found, or before that. The for with "had thought" suggests a single instance of thought that occurred before the job was found.
But many native speakers will not make these fine distinctions, and may use any of the four forms in the question interchangeably, with no difference of meaning.
answered 40 mins ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
3746
New contributor
David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
All of these are perfectly acceptable. The forms using "had been thinking" suggest a process of thought which extended over some time, but ended, either when the job was found, or before that. The for with "had thought" suggests a single instance of thought that occurred before the job was found.
But many native speakers will not make these fine distinctions, and may use any of the four forms in the question interchangeably, with no difference of meaning.
answered 40 mins ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
3746
New contributor
David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
All of these are perfectly acceptable. The forms using "had been thinking" suggest a process of thought which extended over some time, but ended, either when the job was found, or before that. The for with "had thought" suggests a single instance of thought that occurred before the job was found.
But many native speakers will not make these fine distinctions, and may use any of the four forms in the question interchangeably, with no difference of meaning.
answered 40 mins ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
3746
New contributor
David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 40 mins ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
3746
New contributor
David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 40 mins ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
3746
answered 40 mins ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
3746
3746
New contributor
David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
add a comment |
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