The past perfect is used to communicate an event completed before another event in the past.
But in newspaper I read in some news that past perfect and simple past is being used to communicate the same news. How to determine that news in which writer or anybody wants to communicate first occurred events or not.
Like in my below example it seems that these events occurred before another event. But in Some news Past perfect is used and in some it is not.
How to determine if NEWS is just an Information (Simple Past) or completed action (Past Perfect)?
Also if we want to communicate Completed Action/ Final condition/ Final state of action what should we use Simple past or past perfect?
Because in my examples both sentences gives the same Idea.
E.g. 1
(Before informing to relatives)
a) His Family had kept it to themselves and did not disclose it to any relative. (Completed Action)
b) His Family kept it to themselves and did not disclose it to any relative. (Information or Statative)
E.g. 2
(Before arresting someone for the same offence)
a) In July 2014, police had arrested a school bus cleaner for molesting a three-year-old student. (Completed Action)
b) In July 2014, police arrested a school bus cleaner for molesting a three-year-old student.(Information or Statative)
E.g. 3
(Before calling to someone)
a) He had called him but he did not picked up my phone. (Completed Action)
b) He called him but he did not picked up my phone. (Information or Statative)
E.g 4
(Before bomb blast)
a) Passenger informed to the police that Bomb was kept on train. (Information or Statative)
b) Passenger informed to the police that Bomb had been kept on Train. (Completed Action)
E.g 5
(I called you late because)
a) He came to my desk to ask something. (Information or Statative)
b) He had come to my desk to ask something. (Completed Action)
Best Answer
One line answer: read all content, don't judge it by reading a sentence or two.
The confusion occurs between whether it is past or distant past. And, it depends on how old the event is. Not talking about the headlines, but in most of news' body, I find no difficulty in identifying the age of that event.
Simply put, if it is distant past, they may use had.
Problem is that even for yesterday, had is used but then you need to read more in that news to understand the age of the event.
If it is recent past, they may avoid using 'had'. But again, as I said earlier, read the entire piece of news to have accurate information on time.