"checked" vs "had checked"

Question

"checked" vs "had checked"

Both "checked" and "had checked" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Checked" is the simple past tense, used to describe an action that happened in the past. "Had checked" is the past perfect tense, used to indicate that the checking occurred before another past event. The choice between the two depends on the specific timeline of events being described.

Last Updated: March 29, 2024

Use "checked" as the simple past tense to describe an action that happened in the past.

Examples:

I checked the mail this morning.
She checked her phone for messages.

Alternatives:

I did check
I have checked
I was checking
I have been checking
I had been checking

Use "had checked" as the past perfect tense to indicate that the checking occurred before another past event.

Examples:

By the time I arrived, she had already checked the documents.
He had checked the weather forecast before planning the trip.

Alternatives:

I had been checking
I had already checked
I had just checked
I had previously checked
I had already been checking

Answer 1

checked

This is correct and commonly used in English.

Answer 2

had checked

This is correct and commonly used in English.

"checked" vs "had checked"

checked

had checked

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