Why had and not has?

[Samuel Shott]

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #117 "Past Tenses", question 4

I wonder what ......... happened while I was away.

(a) will have
(b) has
(c) was
(d) had

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #117 "Past Tenses", answer 4

I wonder what had happened while I was away.

Correct answer: (d) had

Your answer was: incorrect
I wonder what has happened while I was away.
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why had and not has?
Samuel Shott

[Alan]

Hi,

Good question. I was thinking of something that had happened in the past.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[adrian]

So it should be "wondered" - although US English is now starting to use past perfect on its own to refer to distant past events. Very confusing.

[Andreana]

Hi Adrian, I wonder is perfectly correct here. Why makes you think it should be wondered? Maybe you are confusing it with the simple past - past perfect construction that is used in sentences like these:

Before I joined IBM I had worked for Siemens.

Alan's sentence refers to a different situation though. He is describing something that happens in the present (I wonder).
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[Oliver]

I disagree. You cannot wonder now what had happened, only what has: "I wonder [now] what has happened [before now]. I wondered [then] what had happened [before then]." You cannot wonder now what has happened before an event in the past that is not mentioned.[/i]

[Cristina.ro]

Hi
I have to agree with Oliver.
I wander (now -present tense) what has happend (before now -present perfect tense, used to express an action that took place in the past and was completed recently or just before the speech time)
I wandered (then- past tense) what had happend (before then -past perfect tense, used to express a past action that was completed before a past moment or, in this case, a past action : ''while I was away'')
Just a newbie
Thanks
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[Alan]

Hi Cristina,

Thank you for your comments and welcome to the site. I have to point out what I assume must be a typing error that the verb in question is 'wonder' and not 'wander'.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Cristina.ro]

Ooops!
Yes, the verb in question was supposed to be ''wonder'' and not ''wander'' as I wrote it.
Sorry, newcomer' s awkwardness .Also, I have to admit my English is a bit rusty at the moment.
Really thought I was right regarding the use of tenses in this sentence.
Great site
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Just remember... if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off!

[Uddin66]

please i dont have anwer please also expound me

[Alan]

Yes, your comments about the tenses is fine.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Passive Voice

[JamesAtRealize]

This seems completely fine to me:

I wonder (now) what had happened (before that point in time, not after) while I was away.

Imagine the speaker went away last year and came back last month. Now he knows what has happened since he came back, but at this point in time he still wonders what had happened while he was away.

[Beeesneees]

I agree with those who think 'had' sounds incorrect here.

Personally, I would be more likely to simplify it to
"I wonder what happened while I was away" anyway.
Otherwise, these are the tenses I would use:
I wonder what has happened while/whilst I've been away.
I wondered what had happened while I was away.
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Cheers m' dears!