[Grammar] worked / had worked

[mihallure]

Can I also use 'had worked' instead of 'worked' (the latter being the correct form indicated in the Answer Key):

'How long did Peter work in that office? He (to work) there for two years. Did he enjoy working there?
No, he didn't enjoy at all. That is why he came to our factory where he has working for more than a year now."

Thank you in advance!

 

[Matthew Wai]

...he has working for more than a year

I think "been" should be added before "working".

Not a teacher.

 

[mihallure]

I think "been" should be added before "working".

Not a teacher.

Yes, I think it's better to use 'had been working" instead 'had worked'. The only problem is that the Answer key says the form to use there should be only 'worked'. I would like to find out if it's also OK to use Past Perfect Continuous as you have suggested. Thank you!

 

[Barb_D]

For the question you asked about, it's only "worked." You need some other act in the past to use the past perfect.

Why does Peter know so much about manufacturing?
He had worked in a factory before becoming a teacher after university.

For the point that Matthew made, you have a problem in your last sentence: That is why he came to our factory, where he has been working for more than a year now." (Better: That is why he came to our factory. He has been working here for more than a year now.")

 

[Matthew Wai]

You need some other act in the past to use the past perfect.

In the example below, there is no other act in the past but the past perfect is used, why?
"We had been talking for a good half hour."
Quoted from for - Definition from Longman English Dictionary Online

 

[MikeNewYork]

In the example below, there is no other act in the past but the past perfect is used, why?
"We had been talking for a good half hour."
Quoted from for - Definition from Longman English Dictionary Online

You have one sentence, taken out of context. How do you know there was no other act in the past?

 

[Matthew Wai]

You have one sentence, taken out of context. How do you know there was no other act in the past?

No context is there, why did you say "taken out of context"? I assume there was no other act in the past because it is not mentioned.

 

[MikeNewYork]

No context is there, why did you say "taken out of context"? I assume there was no other act in the past because it is not mentioned.

When one tries to analyze a single sentence in a vacuum, assumptions are dangerous. It is very rare for any single sentence to exist without a context.

 

[Matthew Wai]

assumptions are dangerous

If I guess the context which is unspecified, is it also an assumption?

 

[MikeNewYork]

If I guess the context which is unspecified, is it also an assumption?

Yes. But it is a more logical, IMO.

If I see people walking around smiling, I assume there is oxygen. To assume there is no oxygen is less valid.

 

[Matthew Wai]

"We had been talking for a good half hour."
What other act in the past as the context can be assumed?

 

[bhaisahab]

"We had been talking for a good half hour."
What other act in the past as the context can be assumed?

When the payphone was trampled by a herd of rampaging wildebeest, we had been talking for a good half hour. ;-)

 

[Matthew Wai]

"We had been talking for a good half hour, then the phone battery went flat."
Is it correct?

 

[Barb_D]

"We had been talking for a good half hour, then the phone battery went flat."
Is it correct?

Better: We had been talking for a good half hour when the phone battery [went flat = not one of my terms. I'd say "died" but if "went flat" is common elsewhere, go for it.]