Using Double Tenses in Sentences
-Rashmi
English is a very easy language. Like Hindi, the Indians can easily form sentences in English even if the language is not learned by them from childhood. As we form the sentences in Hindi with multiple tenses together,
it is possible in English also to form a sentence with double tenses.
Past Indefinite and Past Perfect:
When an activity has been completed before the completion of another
activity in the past. The formula for forming an accurate sentence in such
circumstances is, to use past perfect for the activity which had been completed
earlier and past indefinite for the activity which had been completed later on.
Example:
Suppose Mr. A is sleeping and Mr. B comes to his home to meet him.
On the next day, how this scene will be covered in a sentence. The activities of
sleeping of Mr. A and Coming of Mr. B are separate activities completed in
past. How to connect two tenses Past Perfect and Past Indefinite in this
sentence?
The sentence will be as under:
Mr. A had slept before Mr. B came.
Examples of such activities
with the use of Past Perfect and Past Indefinite Tenses:
The beggar had run away before the dog barked.
I had washed the clothes before you came.
The wall had collapsed before the mason came.
We had gone before the bride came to the marriage function.
