I have no problem using phrases like "it couldn't have happened", but I'm not sure which verb tense is the most correct tense to use in the following phrase.
"It looks like that's what happened last time."
In order to make a comment, should I say
A: "It couldn't have happened, because I had been out of town until that moment."
or
B: "It couldn't have happened, because I was out of town until that moment."
Is one sentence more correct than the other? I'm not sure how far I need to go back when using "couldn't have".
Best Answer
Alright, first off a quick summary of the two verb tenses you're asking about.
I do agree with StoneyB's comment that the question/response you've listed sort of lacks a logical relationship without a story around it. I also agree with FumbleFingers' comment that (again, without context) being out of town "until that moment" seems odd. So, the correct verb tense really depends on what you're trying to say. Presumably it's that you were not in town when this event happened last time. In that case...
How many events in the past are we referring to? Just one. The "last time" this thing happened, during which you happened to be out of town. Therefore the simple past tense is the correct one to use.
If my assumptions to what you were trying to say are incorrect please just edit the question or post a comment to explain that and I'll be happy to edit my answer.