May I know why "I have heard" is used and not "I had heard"?
***** NOT A TEACHER *****
Hello,
A teacher could do a better job explaining the difference, but I shall try until a teacher replies. And then I shall delete this post.
I said, "I
have heard people who speak English very well make this mistake" because (hopefully) I will continue to be able to
hear people speak in the future. Being 75 years old, I
have found that my hearing is getting worse. So if some day, I go
deaf, then it would be appropriate to say, "Back in the days when I had my hearing, I
had heard people who speak English
very well make that mistake."
*****
The present perfect refers to something that started in the past but
still "touches" my life. So if I see a good movie, I
might say, "Wow! That was the best movie that I
have ever seen in my life [up to this time.]" But if I see a movie next week,
I might say, "No, no! Last week's movie was not the best one that I have seen. This one is the best one that I have seen
in my life."
The past perfect might be used like this:
Tom: Is that you?
James: What do you mean?
Tom: I
had heard that you died. (Many native speakers would use the past "heard.")
James: No, I
have not died yet.
James