Oxfordians maintain that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, had written the plays and poems attributed to William Shakespeare traditionally.

a) Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, had written the plays and poems attributed to William Shakespeare traditionally
(no need for past perfect because we don't have a simple past action to follow it)

b) Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, wrote the plays and poems attributed to William Shakespeare traditionally
(traditionally should modify attributed)

c) Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, wrote the plays and poems traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare

d) Edward de Vere, as 17th Earl of Oxford, had written the plays and poems traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare
(the use of "as" is incorrect; de Vere as the earl of Oxford AND he wrote the plays and poems, he didn't write them as part of being the earl of Oxford)

e) Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, wrote the plays and poems having been traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare
(no need for present perfect)

Bill@VeritasPrep wrote:Oxfordians maintain that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, had written the plays and poems attributed to William Shakespeare traditionally.

a) Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, had written the plays and poems attributed to William Shakespeare traditionally
(no need for past perfect because we don't have a simple past action to follow it)

Can we not consider ATTRIBUTED a SIMPLE PAST EVENT?

"Attributed to..." is a participial phrase, so it serves as an adjective and not as a conjugated verb.

Bill@VeritasPrep wrote:"Attributed to..." is a participial phrase, so it serves as an adjective and not as a conjugated verb.

Can't this be considered as a sequential event in the past

HAD WRITTEN - Past Perfect
ATTRIBUTED - 'ed' form of the verb Attribute, Simple past

mmslf75 wrote:

Bill@VeritasPrep wrote:"Attributed to..." is a participial phrase, so it serves as an adjective and not as a conjugated verb.

Can't this be considered as a sequential event in the past

HAD WRITTEN - Past Perfect
ATTRIBUTED - 'ed' form of the verb Attribute, Simple past

What would be the subject of the verb ATTRIBUTED?? Plays & Poems??
Can Plays & poems attribute something?? NO.

It is something like an OBJECT cannot acknowledge something, but it can be an acknowledgement !!