<p>Hello CC, I've reached this point in the writing MC where I keep missing the past perfect questions. I know most of the other ones, but I keep missing these: i just don't know when to use it and when not to. </p>
<p>For example, here's an example from PR:</p>
<p>19: ONLY INFREQUENTLY (A) did James laugh at the jokes that the comedian HAS BEEN TELLING (B); James simply did not find the comedian's punch lines, none OF WHICH (C) seemed original, to be FUNNY (D). NO ERROR (E).</p>
<p>The answer here is B, and the explanation is that it should be changed to "told" to maintain parallelism..hmm. Why is this wrong? I thought the answer was E, he did not laugh at any of the jokes the comedian has been telling (continuous telling of jokes)</p>
<p>Basically, some questions modify the answer by saying that "This verb needs to be in present because the rest of the verbs are in present, so it has to be parallel." How does past/present perfect fit in here? I see numerous sentences in which the whole sentence is present, and there is one past perfect verb.</p>
<p>Also, how does it relate to time? For example, if a sentence specifies a time (When the man jumped, he had already thought of his car), should it be "he had already thought", or "He thought"?</p>
<p>The pest perfect tense is used to describe events that occured before other events in the past.For example:
When my dad got home i was playing on the computer.He asked (past simple) if i HAD DONE (past perfect) my homework.
In this case we use past perfect perfect because i was supposed to do my homework before my dad asked me. Other example
When we WENT to the game,the tickets HAD ALREADY BEEN sold</p>
<p>In the example you provided, "B" is wrong because the comedian HAD ALREADY TOLD the jokes at which James laughed AT.</p>
<p>I think so.You cannot just say ''i had done my homework last night'' it is wrong and pointless.Instead,you should say 'Before i did my homework last night,i had already done my project''</p>
<p>as an ESL my understanding of this is always different. But I think past perfect (pluperfect) applies in </p>
<p>Subjunctives (wishes) Ex: Only if I had washed my hands....</p>
<p>Before an action in the past: I had done the dishes before my mother screamed obscenity to the pedestrians in the streets.</p>
<p>Also when writing expository essays, everything is stated in present. Something past tense in the story is expressed in perfect, and prior to that is explained in past perfect.</p>
<p>George Orwell writes dystopian novels. Winston has talked to Julia. Winston had not attend college.</p>
<p>The third explanation is disputable, I never had a clear grasp on this. If you spot something wrong, please correct it. Otherwise I am pretty sure about the first 2.</p>
<p>Edit: to ivan's. I think we say it in everyday speech, a point of reference is already implied. In terms of conversation, in cases like we are talking about a past event, if we want to go back further beyond that, a past perfect is used even though in the sentence itself on one verb is present.</p>
<p>My take on this:
[quote]
Winston had not attend college.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>is that it is incorrect as given. It could be either:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Had not attended, which would imply that Winston is already dead, as the possibility of his correcting the situation (of not attending college) expired with him.</p></li>
<li><p>Has not attended, which would imply that Winston is still with us, and can, should he so choose, attend college, assuming his rich uncle dies and leaves him lots o' bucks to pay for it.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Disclaimer: I was not an English major, nor do I play one on TV.</p>