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Thread: Past perfect after the present simple

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    allthewayanime is offline Member
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    Default Past perfect after the present simple

    Could the past perfect be used after the present simple ?

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    Default Re: Past perfect after the present simple

    Yes:

    I told him my best joke, but I think he had heard it before.
    bhaisahab, emsr2d2 and dawnngcm like this.

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    allthewayanime is offline Member
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    Default Re: Past perfect after the present simple

    But in a sentence like this, could it be natural:

    e.g. The committee will give their verdict after they had read all your plans.

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    emsr2d2 is offline VIP Member
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    Default Re: Past perfect after the present simple

    Quote Originally Posted by allthewayanime View Post
    But in a sentence like this, could it be natural:

    e.g. The committee will give their verdict after they had read all your plans.
    In your example, you have tried to use the past perfect (had read) after the future (will give), so it does not work.

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    allthewayanime is offline Member
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    Default Re: Past perfect after the present simple

    But what about if it was a present simple(give) ?Could it work?

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    Default Re: Past perfect after the present simple

    Quote Originally Posted by emsr2d2 View Post
    In your example, you have tried to use the past perfect (had read) after the future (will give), so it does not work.
    Although we can say, "I will tell you what he had intended to tell you himself before fate so cruelly took him away".
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    Default Re: Past perfect after the present simple

    Quote Originally Posted by allthewayanime View Post
    But what about if it was a present simple(give) ?Could it work?
    No.

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    Default Re: Past perfect after the present simple

    Quote Originally Posted by allthewayanime View Post
    But what about if it was a present simple(give) ?Could it work?
    Questions like this and your original question are not really relevant to the language as it is used. It is possible to think up situations in which the weirdest of combinations of tenses and aspects appear in the same sentence, but they must make sense.

    There are no theoretical rules - simply reflections of reality. Your example in #3 is not acceptable. This is not because of an abstract rule, but because it makes no sense to say that somebody will do something in the future after they had done something in the past which occurred before a later past event.

    So, for example, we can naturally use forms referring to the past and future in one sentence - I received the invitation yesterday and so I'll go to the party (tomorrow) . However, we cannot say I'll receive the invitaion tomorrow and so I went to the party yesterday.
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    allthewayanime is offline Member
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    Default Re: Past perfect after the present simple

    Quote Originally Posted by fivejedjon View Post
    Questions like this and your original question are not really relevant to the language as it is used. It is possible to think up situations in which the weirdest of combinations of tenses and aspects appear in the same sentence, but they must make sense.

    There are no theoretical rules - simply reflections of reality. Your example in #3 is not acceptable. This is not because of an abstract rule, but because it makes no sense to say that somebody will do something in the future after they had done something in the past which occurred before a later past event.

    So, for example, we can naturally use forms referring to the past and future in one sentence - I received the invitation yesterday and so I'll go to the party (tomorrow) . However, we cannot say I'll receive the invitaion tomorrow and so I went to the party yesterday.

    Thank you for clearing it.

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    ColonelSFU is offline Newbie
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    Smile Re: Past perfect after the present simple

    Quote Originally Posted by fivejedjon View Post
    Yes:

    I told him my best joke, but I think he had heard it before.
    NOTE: The writer of this reply is NOT a teacher.

    It seems this example illustrates a past perfect after a past simple instead of a present simple. Is this a correct example: Bill is a scrupulous accountant, although I think he had made mistakes before?

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