Sentence Correction Doubt

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karishma315: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 25; Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2016 1:55 am

by karishma315 » Sat Mar 11, 2017 6:37 am

Please explain the below point:

Past Perfect can make a tricky sentence in which the first clause
expresses an early action in Simple Past. Then, a second clause expresses a later action in
Past Perfect to indicate continued effect (by a still later past time).

Right: The band U2 WAS just one of many new groups on the rock music scene
in the early 1980's, but less than ten years later, U2 HAD fully ECLIPSED
its early rivals in the pantheon of popular music.

Should'nt be past perfect be used for an earlier event

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Sat Mar 11, 2017 6:37 am

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by Ali Tariq » Sat Mar 11, 2017 9:23 pm

Please explain the below point:

Past Perfect can make a tricky sentence in which the first clause
expresses an early action in Simple Past. Then, a second clause expresses a later action in
Past Perfect to indicate continued effect (by a still later past time).

Source please.

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monmonsta: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 11; Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 11:12 pm

by monmonsta » Thu Apr 06, 2017 6:13 am

Ali Tariq wrote:
Please explain the below point:

Past Perfect can make a tricky sentence in which the first clause
expresses an early action in Simple Past. Then, a second clause expresses a later action in
Past Perfect to indicate continued effect (by a still later past time).
Source please.

I think it's from the MGMAT guide for SC

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monmonsta: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 11; Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 11:12 pm

by monmonsta » Thu Apr 06, 2017 6:19 am

karishma315 wrote:Please explain the below point:

Past Perfect can make a tricky sentence in which the first clause
expresses an early action in Simple Past. Then, a second clause expresses a later action in
Past Perfect to indicate continued effect (by a still later past time).

Right: The band U2 WAS just one of many new groups on the rock music scene
in the early 1980's, but less than ten years later, U2 HAD fully ECLIPSED
its early rivals in the pantheon of popular music.

Shouldn't past perfect be used for an earlier event

Hi,

This is one of the trickier ones. The first clause is in simple past. Then, there's a time frame mentioned (less than 10 years later) and then it says that u2 HAD eclipsed meaning it happened before that timeframe . Although this "eclipsed" action is not the earliest one in the three scenarios (first clause and two incidents in the second clause) , it is the earliest one in the second clause. So, it justifies the use of past perfect in the second clause.

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GMATGuruNY: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 15539; Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members; Location: New York, NY; Thanked: 13060 times; GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Fri Apr 07, 2017 4:08 am

karishma315 wrote:Please explain the below point:

Past Perfect can make a tricky sentence in which the first clause
expresses an early action in Simple Past. Then, a second clause expresses a later action in
Past Perfect to indicate continued effect (by a still later past time).

Right: The band U2 WAS just one of many new groups on the rock music scene
in the early 1980's, but less than ten years later, U2 HAD fully ECLIPSED
its early rivals in the pantheon of popular music.

Should'nt be past perfect be used for an earlier event

One purpose of the past perfect is to express an action COMPLETED BEFORE ANOTHER PAST EVENT.
Here, less than ten years after the early 1980's is the equivalent of by 1990.
-----U2 had eclipsed-----1990-----present
Since the action in red is completed before the past event in blue, the usage of the past perfect is warranted.

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