Using Past-Perfect interchangeably with the Past ContinuousPast Progressive + BEFORE/AFTER + GerundIs this past perfect tense put because of the previous tense?past perfect necessary herePast perfect in “after” and “before” clausesWhy 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
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Using Past-Perfect interchangeably with the Past Continuous
Past Progressive + BEFORE/AFTER + GerundIs this past perfect tense put because of the previous tense?past perfect necessary herePast perfect in “after” and “before” clausesWhy 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 8 hours ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
655
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 8 hours ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
655
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 8 hours ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
655
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 8 hours ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
655
asked 8 hours ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
655
edited 7 hours ago
SunnySideDown
asked 8 hours ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
655
asked 8 hours ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
655
asked 8 hours ago
SunnySideDownSunnySideDown
655
655
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
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oldest
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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 8 hours ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,213511
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 8 hours ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
4567
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
2
active
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active
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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 8 hours ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,213511
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 8 hours ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,213511
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 8 hours ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,213511
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 8 hours ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,213511
answered 8 hours ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,213511
answered 8 hours ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,213511
answered 8 hours ago
MixolydianMixolydian
3,213511
3,213511
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 8 hours ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
4567
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 8 hours ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
4567
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 8 hours ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
4567
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 8 hours ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
4567
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 8 hours ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
4567
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 8 hours ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
4567
answered 8 hours ago
David SiegelDavid Siegel
4567
4567
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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