Past perfect progressive instead of past perfect simple
This is from a novel:
The man who had sat next to her the day before began to laugh. Is it possible to say: the man who had been sitting next to her the day before began to laugh?
Top answer
olive file 673 This is from a novel: The man who had sat next to her the day before began to laugh. Is it possible to say: the man who had been sitting next to her the day before began to laugh? In my opinion, both tenses can be used and the only difference in meaning I see is in emphasis.
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olive file 673This is from a novel:
The man who had sat next to her the day before began to laugh. Is it possible to say: the man who had been sitting next to her the day before began to laugh?
In my opinion, both tenses can be used and the only difference in meaning I see is in emphasis. "had sat" emphasises the fact of the proximity of "the m
0You could also say this.
The man who sat next to her the day before began to laugh.
We often don't use Past Perfect when a word like 'before' makes the sequence of events clear.
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