Expertlatin
- What is the difference between past perfect and past imperfect?
- Why use past perfect instead of past tense?
- Is past perfect still used?
- What is the difference between past tense and past perfect tense?
What is the difference between past perfect and past imperfect?
Past tense (perfect)
This kind of past tense is called a perfect tense. It is used to describe an action in the past which is completed. To describe a past action or state which is incomplete, we use an imperfect tense. This tense indicates an action which has gone on over a period time or has happened frequently.
Why use past perfect instead of past tense?
We can use the past perfect to show the order of two past events. The past perfect shows the earlier action and the past simple shows the later action. When the police arrived, the thief had escaped. It doesn't matter in which order we say the two events.
Is past perfect still used?
Yes, of course, we do. ... The past perfect is used when talking about events that happened before another event in the past. For example: “Fred had already finished his homework before he went home”. The past perfect is quite common.
What is the difference between past tense and past perfect tense?
Past simple expresses actions that occurred in the past, while past perfect talks about something that occurred before another past event or action.
