had gone/has gone

[Silverobama]

Hi,

Which is better?


The bread had gone stale.

The bread has gone stale.

I heard someone said if I used a past perfect tense sentence, I must use a simple past tense sentence first.

May I have your opinion on this point?

Yours

Silver

 

[5jj]

If we are talking about the present state of the bread resulting from its loss of freshness, then it has gone stale . If we are talking about the result of its losing freshness ar some past time, it had gone stale.

 

[Neek93]

Hi there!

Well, I'm not a teacher (in fact, I'm just a 17-year-old student), but here is my answer to your question above:
Past Perfect (Continuous as well) is usually used when something happened in the past and the result was visible in the past as well. For instance, I had been working all day. I was exhausted.

You use Present Perfect when something happened in the past BUT the outcome is visible now, in the present. Like: I have been working all day long. NOW, I'm exhausted.

So, if you say: The bread had gone stale - it happened in the past and the result was visible in the past.
The bread has gone stale - we don't know when the action started but the result is seen now, so the bread has gone stale (up until now) - it's stale now.

Well, that's just my opinion on your question, and if somebody knows a better solution, just put it down here, I'll really appreciate your response as well.

All the best,
Nik

 

[5jj]

Your explanation is clear and accurate, Neek, apart from one little typo:
I [STRIKE]has[/STRIKE] have been working all day long. NOW, I'm exhausted.

 

[Neek93]

Already changed, thank you.

 

[Rover_KE]

The bread had gone stale.

The bread has gone stale.

The second could stand alone. I could say it to my wife explaining why I had not made her expected sandwiches.

The first needs something before it, such as her question 'Why did you not make my sandwiches?'

Rover