[Grammar] I was / had been recognized for

[uktous]

Hi,
Question:
Should I use was or had been?

Sentence:
I was / had been recognized for making valuable contributions to the company.

Background:
I am not working at the company above.


[STRIKE]My opinion:
Both are correct.

Was - refer to a fact in the past.
Ie, recognized for making valuable contributions was a fact

had been - refer to duration before something in the past.
Ie, when I woked at that company, I was recognized for making valuable contributions. Now, I am not working at company, so it is end.[/STRIKE]

thanks

 

[Mannysteps]

Not a teacher

An adequate answer requires a wider context and "I am not working at the company above." does not provide it. Look at both in the following contexts:

While working there I was recognized for making valuable contributions to the company.

I had been recognized for making valuable contributions, so, I was expecting a promotion.

Maybe it will help.

M.

 

[uktous]

Not a teacher

An adequate answer requires a wider context and "I am not working at the company above." does not provide it. Look at both in the following contexts:

While working there I was recognized for making valuable contributions to the company.

I had been recognized for making valuable contributions, so, I was expecting a promotion.

Maybe it will help.

M.

My sentence is not as informative as yours.

So, in my sentence, should I use was or had been?

Ie,
I was recognized for making valuable contributions to the company.
or
I had been recognized for making valuable contributions to the company.


?

thanks

 

[5jj]

As Mannysteps pointed out: "An adequate answer requires a wider context and "I am not working at the company above." does not provide it."

In your sentence as it stands, either form is possible - but there is no guarantee that it is the most appropriate.

 

[uktous]

As Mannysteps pointed out: "An adequate answer requires a wider context and "I am not working at the company above." does not provide it."

In your sentence as it stands, either form is possible - but there is no guarantee tha tit is the most appropriate.

thank you for
In your sentence as it stands, either form is possible

I think I should provide an extra piece of information"
"I am not working at the company above now."
this suggests the sentence should be in either simple past tense or past perfect

 

[5jj]

I think I should provide an extra piece of information.
"I am not working at the company above now."

This does not provide sufficient context, either.

In Mannystep's example,

I had been recognized for making valuable contributions, so, I was expecting a promotion,

the past perfect is appropriate because it is clear that the recognition had come before the expectation. Whether or not you are working at the company when you make this statement is not relevant to the two situations you are talking about.