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Past Perfect Tense with "Before"

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Past Perfect Tense with "Before"

by spucmu » Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:15 pm
I thought that "Past Perfect" tense should only be used if sequence of verb is not clear but attached Kaplan question th"rew me off.

I understand the obvious mistake in this question is the use of "known as" but I didn't get why the use of "had" required when "Before" is already specified.
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by jaymw » Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:02 pm
When two events happened in the past, but one of them earlier than the other, then the earlier event has to be in the past perfect tense while the subsequent event has to be in the past tense.

The word "before" indicates that one event happened before another.

Example: Before I took the GMAT, I had studied a lot.

-> I took the GMAT in the past. I also studied for it in the past. Logically, I studied BEFORE I took the GMAT, and not WHILE taking it or afterwards. This sequence has to be made clear by using the past perfect tense for the event that happened first.
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