varotkorn wrote:
Why is PAST PERFECT in choice C. wrong?
When the Declaration of Sentiments drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton was adopted at the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention in 1848, a call for female enfranchisement had been included in it.
Is there a rule that when WHEN is used, PAST PERFECT cannot be used?
There is no such rule.
Consider the following example:
When we arrived, the bride and groom had already said their vows.
Makes complete sense.
Quote:
IMHO, the call should logically be included in the draft BEFORE the draft was adopted.
Why is this thinking wrong?
The problem is that including something is not always discrete action, and, in this case "included" seems to refer to something ongoing.
Consider the following:
The troupe of actors included five men and five women.
In that sentence, "included" conveys that something was going on continuously.
Now here's another version:
The troupe of actors had included five men and five women.
In that sentence, "had included" conveys that something had been going on continuously but ceased to occur. The troupe no longer included five men and five women.
Similarly, choice (E) conveys that when the Declaration was adopted, a call for female enfranchisement had been included but was no longer included in it, a somewhat illogical meaning.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway here is to look for issues in logic rather than merely wonder what "the rule" is.
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