I was going through some basic grammar rules when I stumbled upon these 2 sentences:---
She had visited her friend once in 2005 before she moved in with them in 2007.
She visited her friend once in 2005 before she moved in with them in 2007.
The book says if you use the words "before" and "after" with specific dates you can avoid past perfect....
Is it true.....Is it acceptable in GMAT
--------------------------------------------------
If you like my post, go ahead and press thanks!!
Past perfect V/s past
This topic has expert replies
- Ashley@VeritasPrep
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 199
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2011 6:06 am
- Location: Cambridge, MA
- Thanked: 192 times
- Followed by:121 members
- GMAT Score:780
Yes, I would go with the second sentence there. The sentence is in chronological order (we get the visiting the friend first, then the moving) so there's no need to go into past perfect to situate one event before the other in time. However, there's another grammatical problem with both of these sentences! If the pronoun "them" is intended to refer to "her friend," there's an agreement error, because "them" is plural while "her friend" is singular. (If "them" is not meant to refer to "her friend," then "them" HAS NO referent, which is problematic in itself.)
Ashley Newman-Owens
GMAT Instructor
Veritas Prep
Post helpful? Mosey your cursor on over to that Thank button and click, please! I will bake you an imaginary cake.
GMAT Instructor
Veritas Prep
Post helpful? Mosey your cursor on over to that Thank button and click, please! I will bake you an imaginary cake.
- Ashley@VeritasPrep
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 199
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2011 6:06 am
- Location: Cambridge, MA
- Thanked: 192 times
- Followed by:121 members
- GMAT Score:780
Yes, I would go with the second sentence there. The sentence is in chronological order (we get the visiting the friend first, then the moving) so there's no need to go into past perfect to situate one event before the other in time. However, there's another grammatical problem with both of these sentences! If the pronoun "them" is intended to refer to "her friend," there's an agreement error, because "them" is plural while "her friend" is singular. (If "them" is not meant to refer to "her friend," then "them" HAS NO referent, which is problematic in itself.)
Ashley Newman-Owens
GMAT Instructor
Veritas Prep
Post helpful? Mosey your cursor on over to that Thank button and click, please! I will bake you an imaginary cake.
GMAT Instructor
Veritas Prep
Post helpful? Mosey your cursor on over to that Thank button and click, please! I will bake you an imaginary cake.