Eduard is peevish because I asked him, after a number of pleasant and interesting exchanges, to define the past perfect. He can't do it. He doesn't know what it is. That makes him cross. (If you can do it, Eduard, do it. Don't rant at me. Just do it.)
 
I then asked him to ask each person in one of his classes to send me a definition, without him explaining what it is. I don't want to read 30 variations on what he tells them. Make it open book. Let them look it up if they want.
 
He won't do that either, so he sends out a spleen-gram, and he drops Quirk's name as a smoke screen but Quirk won't help him. How's that for a definitive statement? Quirk won't help.
 
Please prove me wrong, Eduard. Maybe the others will help you. Who has Quirk handy?
 
.brad.23dec10.
 
From: Eduard Hanganu <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed, December 22, 2010 7:41:35 AM
Subject: Re: Bruce Despain, Mastering the Challenge

Brad,
 
This is my example:
 
"I HAD BEEN READING [ Past Perfect Tense Progressive Aspect] your rumblings for too long before I DECIDED  [ Absolute Simple Past Tense ] that they were not worth my time."
 
This is a proper use of the Progressive Past Perfect Tense (Aspect) and of the (Absolute) Simple Past Tense on the time axis. See Quirk et al. in "A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language," and Comrie in "Aspect." 
 
 
Eduard


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