Dear all,
I know that past perfect tense can't be written as a single sentence. It can be used only "as past of past". But I am unsure whether that rule is applicable to "past perfect continuous tense". Recently I have seen the following sentences in past perfect continuous written as single sentences. I would like to know whether they are correct.
1) It had been snowing all last week.
2) He had been going to the gym regularly.
Thank you.
cat navy 425I know that past perfect tense can't be written as a single sentence.
Yes, it can. And so can the past perfect continuous.
This is the general rule: These two tenses require the establishment of reference point (an "anchor") in the past, but the anchor does not have to be established in the same sentence that contains the past perfect or past perfect continuous tense. It may be established in a previous sentence (or sentences).
cat navy 4251) It had been snowing all last week.
2) He had been going to the gym regularly.
These sentences are grammatically correct, but without further context (the sentences which precede them), it's impossible to say whether they are appropriate.
(Sentence 1 seems a little suspect. It might not be quite right depending on context.)
CJ
Comments
1 and 2 are both grammatically fine. In a real-life application, unless you have a series of complex events that you wanted to chronologically describe, past perfect is not necessary.