That town was no longer

[Freeguy]

That town was no longer the sleepy little village .......... .

1. it has been being
2. it has been
3. it was
4. it had been

What's wrong with using "it has been" (present perfect here) here? (Answer key: No.4)

Thanks!

 

[5jj]

What's wrong with using "it has been" (present perfect here) here? (Answer key: No.4)

The sentence is about a situation in the past - 'The town was ...'.

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

Hello.

I answered №4, but I do not understand why №3 is wrong here.
Could someone explain to me?

Boris.

 

[5jj]

#3 would give you "That town was no longer the sleepy little village it was." That makes no sense, though it would be possible if you added 'before'. Even then, the past perfect is more natural, in my opinion.

 

[Matthew Wai]

What's wrong with using "it has been" (present perfect here) here?

Does "it has been a sleepy little village" mean that it's a sleepy little village both at present and in the past?

 

[MikeNewYork]

That town was no longer the sleepy little village .......... .

1. it has been being
2. it has been
3. it was
4. it had been

What's wrong with using "it has been" (present perfect here) here? (Answer key: No.4)

Thanks!

It could also be: That town was no longer the sleepy little village it once was.

 

[emsr2d2]

The town is no longer the sleepy little village it [once] was.
The town was no longer the sleepy little village it had [once] been.

 

[Freeguy]

What's the best way to learn the difference between present perfect and past perfect?

Thanks!

 

[Rover_KE]

Click here for links to earlier answers to this question.

 

[Tdol]

What's the best way to learn the difference between present perfect and past perfect?

Years of dedicated practice. :-D

The present perfect has a connection to the present, and the past perfect to the past. However, the connections may not always be obvious.

 

[BobK]

:up: The clue's in the name. ;-)

b