[Grammar] Question about Past Perfect/ Past Simple (Example)

[Black_Jack4u]

Hi,

can you tell which tense I have to use and why, please? I am tending to use had taken because it happens before, but I am not sure...

"So it was all arranged and the day before the workmen came to start the job, Eberhard took/ had taken Charlie to the kennels and the next day they drove up to the airport."

Thx

PS:

Another question hast just come up: I know I can use the Simple Past, but can I use in this case the Past Progressive, too? Could you quickly explain this to me, please?

"They didn't think/ were not thinking (think, not) about the renovation at home during the holiday, so they were not prepared for the shock that was waiting (wait) for them when they got (get) home."

Thx very much

 

[MikeNewYork]

Hi,

can you tell which tense I have to use and why, please? I am tending to use had taken because it happens before, but I am not sure...

"So it was all arranged and the day before the workmen came to start the job, Eberhard took/ had taken Charlie to the kennels and the next day they drove up to the airport."

Thx

PS:

Another question hast just come up: I know I can use the Simple Past, but can I use in this case the Past Progressive, too? Could you quickly explain this to me, please?

"They didn't think/ were not thinking (think, not) about the renovation at home during the holiday, so they were not prepared for the shock that was waiting (wait) for them when they got (get) home."

Thx very much

Normally, the past perfect is used to help to establish a tine sequence for an event that happened before another event in the past. In your sentence, other words establish the sequence of events. Thus, the simple past would be fine and the past perfect would also work.

In your second question, either verb form would work. Later in the sentence, I am not sure one prepares for a "shock" or that shocks wait. How about mess, disaster, problems, etc?