has(had) been covered

[sbrodsky]

Dear teacher,
please correct my sentenese below:

We tried to see a picture on the wall but could not see it. A picture, even if it was (had been?) there, has(had) been covered with a thick layer of paint.

Thank you

 

[Barb_D]

Dear teacher,
please correct my sentenese below:

We tried to see the [STRIKE]a[/STRIKE] picture on the wall but could not [STRIKE]see it[/STRIKE]. The [STRIKE]A[/STRIKE] picture, [STRIKE]even [/STRIKE]if it was even [STRIKE](had been?) [/STRIKE]there, [STRIKE]has([/STRIKE]had[STRIKE])[/STRIKE] been covered with a thick layer of paint.

Thank you

It reads as though you expected to see a specific picture, so I have suggested "the" instead of "a."

If it had even been there - you are not sure that a picture was ever on the wall.
If it had EVER been there would be a bit more natural to my ear.

 

[euncu]

It reads as though you expected to see a specific picture, so I have suggested "the" instead of "a."

But, as far as I'm concerned, replacing "it" with "one" may fix the problem,

We tried to see a picture on the wall but could not see[STRIKE] it[/STRIKE] one.

and also;

We tried to see [STRIKE]a[/STRIKE] some pictures on the wall but could not see[STRIKE] it[/STRIKE] any.

 

[Barb_D]

I totally agree that your changes are quite natural sounding!

 

[sbrodsky]

It reads as though you expected to see a specific picture, so I have suggested "the" instead of "a."

If it had even been there - you are not sure that a picture was ever on the wall.
If it had EVER been there would be a bit more natural to my ear.

Thank you, Barb_D!

Does it change anything (I mean "had been covered") if I add "long time ago" to the sentence?

The picture, if it was even there, had been covered with a thick layer of paint long time ago.

Thank you again

 

[Barb_D]

The picture, if it was even there, had been covered with a thick layer of paint long time ago.

Sounds just fine to me!