I would argue that it could be a sentence, but only in the context of other sentences. Imagine that next year, after a new president has been inaugurated, someone asks me, "Prior to inauguration day, who had been President?" I would answer, "George Bush had been President." Isn't that a sentence? And isn't the tense correct? "Had been" seems correct here to me, though, *only* because at the time the question was asked of me, the inauguration day was in the past. Thus, the "being President" was completed prior to the event that occurred in the simple past-the inauguration. Brad, as I understand tenses, this is what everyone has been trying to explain to you: the past perfect only makes sense in context-in particular, in relation to another event in the simple past. DD, as I understand the phrase "sequence of tenses," this is what you were getting at earlier, right? That is, the past perfect only makes sense in the context of an event in the simple past? I'm always fearful that when I post something to this list, I'm just showing my ignorance. But the opportunity to learn is worth that risk, so I will look forward to hearing where I'm missing the mark here. Nancy Nancy L. Tuten, PhD Professor of English Director of the Writing-across-the-Curriculum Program Columbia College Columbia, South Carolina <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] 803-786-3706 _____ From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Brad Johnston Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 5:03 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Addition to George Bush Brad Johnston <[log in to unmask]> wrote: George bush has been president for 7 years (and still is). After he's gone, George Bush was president for 8 years. I should have said in here: "George Bush IS president", is a sentence. "George Bush WAS president", is a sentence. "George Bush had been president", is not a sentence. It cannot stand alone. It's a "fragment". If you have a better word than "fragment", I can live with it. If you think "George Bush had been president", is a sentence, someone tell me what it means. .brad.17feb08. Craig Hancock <[log in to unmask]> wrote: I have a hard time with the implication that perfect aspect does no work. Gorge Bush is President for seven years. George Bush was President for seven years. George Bush has been President for seven years. For the most part, the third one sounds right to me (in the context of our current situation) because it conveys the sense of a continuing reality. It sounds right because there's a form/meaning match. We can do that a number of ways (He is in the final year of a second four year term),but "taste">leaves me uncomfortable. I don't think you are in that camp, but most people believe grammar is about what's correct or what's tasteful, and that's one reason it's out of favor. What does perfect aspect do? Don't we need to define that in functional terms? _____ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51733/*http:/mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8H DtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ%20> it now. To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/