Re: Past perfect --- punctual
- From: FB <fam.balducciNOSPAM@xxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 17:42:12 +0200
Don Phillipson ha scritto:
"FB" <fam.balducciNOSPAM@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:447da209$0$36931$4fafbaef@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Can the past perfect tense express a punctual action, or just a habitual
one?
Does it make sense to write "On 25th February 2003, John found a
newspaper in his garden. It was 8.36 a.m. When he had picked it up, he
went back inside and realized it was a Swedish newspaper"[1]? or does
"when he had picked it up" clash with the one-time action of picking the
newspaper up on that particular day at that particular time?
Plupertfect (past perfect) "had picked it up" is normal
in this context. There is no clash.
When describing a habitual or repeated action the auxiliary
verb "used to" is the most common means, e.g. When I
lived on Clarey Ave. I used to go to the post office every
morning at 8 a.m.
What I meant is:
"Quand il l'avait fait" vs "Quand il l'eut fait"---or so I hope.
FB
.
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- Past perfect --- punctual
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