Past tenses: subject + had + past participle

[Sunglasses]

:shock: hello again, it's me :lol: . i'm coming back with new questions related to the past tenses and here they are:

Q1: subject+ had+ past participle
I had finished my work by 9 o'clock.
is this sentence talking about something happened in the same day? and why is not a past simple?

Q2: Really, I was very tired! I had been revising all evening.

I had been waiting for James for thirty minutes when he finally arrived.
why the tense is the past perfect continuous :?: :!: why not the past perfect?

Q3:Anna WORKED as a teacher for ten years.
simple past with for? :x why not past perfect?

please help me solving this mess-for me it is a big big big mess- I don't know when I must use the right past tense :cry:

I would be garteful for all your help

[Sahid59]

Hi sunglasses...( you could have been wearing magnifying glasses..)

I want to refresh my grammar knowledge by replying your post.

Q1: You can say..''I had finished my work by 9 o'clock..and so returned home earlier..''
here you are mentioning two events (1) finishing the work (2) returning home. To make things clear you are using the past perfect tense for the first event to indicate that it happened before the second event. Got it..?

Q2: Because the events "revising'' and ''waiting'' do not end abruptly after they begin. They would take some duration for their completion. That is why you are using the continuous tense..Clear..?

By asking some questions you are giving us a chance to read between the lines and get refreshed ourselves..
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Sahid59

Better tomorrow with better English

[Sunglasses]

[Sahid59]

Hi ..glasses..!

Those were my suggestive answers only because I don't want you to wait a long time for a response to your post.

For Q1: Usually we use the past perfect tense to differentiate events with varied time lines.

For Q3: ''Anna WORKED as a teacher for ten years'' can also be rearranged as (1) ''Anna HAD WORKED as a teacher for ten years'' or (2) ''Anna HAD BEEN WORKING as a teacher for ten years''. But it is better to make it clear as per the use of past perfect (continuous) tenses by giving some additional arguments like ''..before she decided to start her own Tuition Center'' for (1) or '' and she got recognized for the first time this year..''for (2). I think I made it somewhat clear to you this time..ok..?

Ref to your last lines, you must have the humorous mind which will keep you as well as your friends cheerful all the time.
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Sahid59

Better tomorrow with better English

[Sunglasses]

HI Sahid...!
Sorry it's not ok with me :cry: I've been doing bad with tenses :roll: and I didn't get it this time too :shock:
what's the difference between the two examples :?:
1-

[Sahid59]

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Sahid59

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[Sunglasses]

Many thanks Sahid :D
But I'm still confused :? look at these following examples:
1- I was reading a book all evening.
2- Really I was tired. I had been revising all evening.
So, what's the matter ? :(

I still have more questions :oops: and here you are some new examples:
A- I was reading a novel while he was playing.
Why is the verb after while past continuous? :o

B- They were playing games when i came back?
has when got the same grammar of while :roll: ? Can I change the tenses too?
I wish that I clarified my point and I'm looking to hearing from you or from any one can help :) .

[Rafaelinrio]

Hi,

I am gonna try to help you, I have posted sommthing about past perfect before but I know when.

Let's start talking about the present perfect continuous and present continuous.

If you say:

I have been studying.
I am studying.

In the fisrt sentence you have an idea that the person started studying in the past anc continues studying at the moment. On the other hand, the secvond sentences conveys a message that the person is studying at the moment, not necessarily this action started in the past.

The same happens concerning past continuous and past perfect continuous.

In the example you gave, we have:

I was reading a novel while he was playing.

In this sentence, at the same time that you were reading he was playing. There are two actions happening at the same time. While gives us this idea of simultaneousness, that means 2 actions happening at the same time.

When you use when, you have an idea that an action was happening and then another action happend. So you don't have 2 actions happening at the same time. In your example:
They were playing games when I came back.

So when I came back they were playing games. You see, they were playing games is the action that was happening and then we have another action that took place later, which is you came back.

Hoe this helps you.

[Sunglasses]

Thanks Rafaelinrio :D I appreciate it.
This means while has a different case of when? :?:
Can I use past simple in the first sentence instead of past continuous to be like this one:
I read a novel while he was playing? does it make sense? :roll:
Or I have to use the same tense with both sentences joined by while :idea: :?

Sorry, i know i'm asking in the same topic too much :oops:

[Rafaelinrio]

hey,
that is totally corrected, and it gives us the idea that you started reading and finished reading while he was playing.

Another example: I cleaned the house while my brother was playing soccer.

C ya.

[Sunglasses]

Hiya,
Thanks again for your repsonse and everything is clear now :D God bless you.

[Rafaelinrio]

you're welcome.

[Sahid59]

To make it more clear for you. we can modify your own example as:

I found a solution while he was looking for one.

Got it..?
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Sahid59

Better tomorrow with better English