Quick review on writing! Help asap!

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1

<p>Alright, on writing what trips me is the verb tense errors. How do you know when to use an imperfect, regular, or present perfect, or future perfect etc. (And I am not asking about the difference between like future and present, I already know the differences) But I just want to know like perfect and regular tenses in like future, present, and past. Can you guys explain how to recognize how one is wrong and the other is correct? </p>

<p>For example:
I had attacked the bear in the mall. </p>

<p>Why can't it be I attacked the bear in the mall? Or I was attacking the bear in the mall? Or I had been attacking the bear in the room?</p>

<p>THANK YOU!!!! PLEASE HELP ASAP!!!</p>

2

<p>That verb is past perfect.</p>

<p>Past = Simply states that an action occurred in the past.
Perfect = An action occurred in the past and its effects carry on into the present.</p>

<p>A past perfect verb, therefore, is a “doubly past” verb.</p>

<p>Sorry for not helping, hard to explain more without writing an essay. Bedtime for me.</p>

3

<p>Your example could be worded any of the ways you suggest because it has no context to suggest which one might be the best way to state what you did to that poor bear. :-)</p>

<p>For an explanation of the appropriate use of past perfect, check this site and scroll to the second half of the page:
[410</a> Grammar: Forming and Using the Past Perfect Tense](<a href=“http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/pastpf.htm]410”>http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/pastpf.htm)</p>