Could you possibly check this?

Question

He didn't know his former girlfriend "had" married an actor and (do we still have to use "had" here?) moved to Alaska.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Both are common. I believe that if you don't repeat the "had" it's understood anyway. I repeat it if there's even the slightest chance of ambiguity. I think in this case I'd be inclined to repeat it, because even though both actions are in the past perfect (precede the simple past "didn't know") the moving may be considered to have occured some time after the marriage.

Just as actions may occur at different times in the simple past, so may they also occur at different times in the past perfect.

(simple past) I didn't know she married an actor and moved to Alaska.

I didn't know she moved to Alaska and married an actor.

There are three different actions at three different times. The knowing/not knowing must have occured last. The marrying and the moving we assume occured in the same sequence as in the sentences, but that's contextual.

You could put all three in the past perfect. He told me he hadn't known that she had married an actor and had moved to Alaska.

I was making an argument that your sentence could be ambiguous, but I'm changing my mind. I'm sure it would be taken as "had moved."

- A.

Alda1119 · Answer

thanks "A"! that's cool!

Could you possibly check this?

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬