Example: I learned more today than I did all week. (OR) I learned more today than I had all week. Are both sentences correct? Since 'learned' is past tense, would it be accurate to use 'had' because it is past perfect? The

Hi Anon Although "had" is possible, I think I'd prefer "did". I don't think anyone would interpret a real difference in terms of meaning. By the way, you could also use "have" (rather than "did" or

It is always (?) possible; past perfect is a stylistic tool-- it makes good writing.

"Forgive me, but I've--I've got an appointment." A smile curved across her mouth. It hadn't been a lie , not in the strick sense of the word. Could you explain why use "hadn't been a lie" here? Why the

Do/does/did is not used in questions 1. with forms of to be : Is he happy? Were they swimming? 2. with perfect and past perfect auxiliaries : Have you seen him? Had it already begun? 3. sometimes with have/has/had when the verb is in the

Sorry to butt in like this. I'm sure Clive will give his expert advice but let me try to explain it the way I see it (from a non native speaker's point of view). Regarding the New York sentence, since both the living/working

What about 3 days ago? Should I use past perfect or present perfect?

Hi, Really, I don't feel I have anything I want to add at this point, and I don't want to get repetitive. My advice is that you digest things a bit and let them settle in your mind. At the same time, every time you use Past

Sorry to butt in like this. I'm sure Clive will give his expert advice but let me try to explain it the way I see it (from a non native speaker's point of view). Regarding the New York sentence, since both the living/working occur

Thank you Clive for the critique. For the New York sentence, is there anything wrong or misleading in the construction that needs to be reworded. After the rewording, the original past perfect context has been erased. Maybe I tried too hard to