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Thread: sequence of tenses

  1. 09-Jul-2011, 09:50 #1
    Will17
    Will17 is offline Senior Member
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    Cool sequence of tenses

    Hello!

    I would like to know if we can use both the past perfect and the past simple interchangeably here. Can you help me please?

    "She had been/was jobless for a long time when she started writing these books".

    Thank you
    Will
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  2. 09-Jul-2011, 10:41 #2
    Allen165
    Allen165 is offline Key Member
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    Default Re: sequence of tenses

    Quote Originally Posted by Will17 View Post
    Hello!

    I would like to know if we can use both the past perfect and the past simple interchangeably here. Can you help me please?

    "She had been/was jobless for a long time when she started writing these books".

    Thank you
    Will
    NOT A TEACHER.

    Only "had been" works for me. If you took out "for a long time," "was jobless" would be correct.
    emsr2d2, 5jj, bhaisahab and 1 others like this.
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