Before George Eliot became...George Eliot

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Before George Eliot became the popular and respected novelist known as George Eliot, she had been an anonymous translator and essayist of formidably far-ranging scholarship.

(A) Before George Eliot became the popular and respected novelist known as George Eliot, she had been
(B) Before she had been the popular and respected novelist, George Eliot, she was
(C) George Eliot has been the popular and respected novelist, George Eliot, after such time as she was
(D) Before George Eliot became the popular and respected novelist, George Eliot, she was
(E) George Eliot, before she was the popular and respected novelist, George Eliot, had been

[spoiler]OA: D[/spoiler]
I tend to get confused in such questions where name of some person comes twice while discussing his/her life before and after being known for what he/she is known.
Source: — Sentence Correction |

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by amar66 » Thu May 26, 2011 11:38 am
There are 2 parts in this sentence, both have happened in the past. Hence this sentence needs to be constructed in past perfect.

A -- satisfies this
B-- wrong tense - flipped around
D -- The sentence is constructed in simple past all along.

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by anukrati » Wed Jun 19, 2013 2:19 am
sameerballani wrote:Before George Eliot became the popular and respected novelist known as George Eliot, she had been an anonymous translator and essayist of formidably far-ranging scholarship.

(A) Before George Eliot became the popular and respected novelist known as George Eliot, she had been
(B) Before she had been the popular and respected novelist, George Eliot, she was
(C) George Eliot has been the popular and respected novelist, George Eliot, after such time as she was
(D) Before George Eliot became the popular and respected novelist, George Eliot, she was
(E) George Eliot, before she was the popular and respected novelist, George Eliot, had been

[spoiler]OA: D[/spoiler]
I tend to get confused in such questions where name of some person comes twice while discussing his/her life before and after being known for what he/she is known.
Hi

Can anyone explain the below doubt :

1) When we already have "Before" why do we need "had been". Doesnt "before" already specify change in time?
2) Also why "George Eliot" within commas is incorrect.

Thanks

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