sel6000
Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2008
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- Arabic
- Home Country
- Saudi Arabia
- Current Location
- Saudi Arabia
Hello everyone.
My Question:
What do native speakers think of this past perfect example which I have found in Longman Dictionary?
It is difficult to appreciate how bad the situation had become.
Source: https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/appreciate
My Understanding:
If someone uses the past perfect, I would always ask before what: How bad the situation had become before what?
And since there is no established point in the past to trigger the past perfect in this particular dictionary example, I would edit it to the present perfect:
It is difficult to appreciate how bad the situation has become.
The past perfect talks about before then.
The present perfect talks about before now.
What do you think? Do you agree with my understanding?
Thank you for taking the time to consider my question.
Best wishes
My Question:
What do native speakers think of this past perfect example which I have found in Longman Dictionary?
It is difficult to appreciate how bad the situation had become.
Source: https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/appreciate
My Understanding:
If someone uses the past perfect, I would always ask before what: How bad the situation had become before what?
And since there is no established point in the past to trigger the past perfect in this particular dictionary example, I would edit it to the present perfect:
It is difficult to appreciate how bad the situation has become.
The past perfect talks about before then.
The present perfect talks about before now.
What do you think? Do you agree with my understanding?
Thank you for taking the time to consider my question.
Best wishes