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Consider the following two sentences:

  1. Many buildings were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666.

  2. Many buildings had been destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666.

Which is appropriate, and why? I think both the sentences are right. Could someone please clarify?

tchrist
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stoic-santiago
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  • Basically, a past perfect construction normally comes after a simple past sentence. It explains to the reader why a certain event happened. For instance, 1. "He missed the train because he had woken up late." 2. "He woke up late, so he missed the train" – Mari-Lou A Jan 23 '19 at 08:13
  • Therefore, you need to tell us what you intend to write before and after your sentence. Both sentences are grammatically correct, if that's of any help. – Mari-Lou A Jan 23 '19 at 08:15
  • You would use the second sentence if you were referring to the period following the Great Fire of London: it was necessary to rebuild because... The first sentence is just a statement of fact, valid at any time since 1666. – Kate Bunting Jan 23 '19 at 09:29

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