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i took vs i had taken

Both "I took" and "I had taken" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "I took" is used to describe a past action that happened at a specific time, while "I had taken" is used to indicate a past action that occurred before another past action. The choice between the two depends on the specific timeline of events being described.

Last updated: March 19, 2024 • 2399 views

i took

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to describe a past action that happened at a specific time.

Use "I took" to describe a single past action that occurred at a specific time in the past.

Examples:

  • I took the bus to work yesterday.
  • She took the last piece of cake.
  • He took a deep breath before speaking.
  • They took a walk in the park.
  • We took a taxi to the airport.
  • Then i took the plane again towards my new life .
  • On a recent trip to Prague, i took some pictures of store windows that might serves as suggestion or example concerning store design and which i don't wish to withhold.
  • I mean, i took, like, A pole dancing class once at crunch.
  • I took another pass at your candidacy speech.
  • I took my oldest back-to-school shopping.
  • And then I took Jonah to the dentist.
  • I am still a novice i took up crochet because of depression and have to say how much it helped.my thoughts are with you at this sad time
  • My name is Milica. I am 23 years old, and i live in Serbia. Last year i took a degree in nursery teaching, but during the last six months i have been wo
  • My name is Chrysi. I am greek and i still work here in Greece as a teacher of French. I am 29 years old.When i took my Bachelors degree in French language and liter
  • I took an introductory karate class.
  • I took some samples home for further research.
  • I took instant food to the battlefield.
  • One time I took Tina ice skating.
  • The reason I took this screenplay is that...
  • I took your emigration very personally.
  • I took a classified file home.
  • Five times daily since I took over operations.
  • I took this into consideration when voting.
  • I took Francine to Satisfaction Avenue just last night.
  • I took a plane. I took a helicopter.

Alternatives:

  • I grabbed
  • I seized
  • I selected
  • I chose
  • I picked

i had taken

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a past action that occurred before another past action.

Use "I had taken" to describe a past action that happened before another past action in the past perfect tense.

Examples:

  • By the time she arrived, I had taken a shower.
  • He realized he had taken the wrong turn.
  • I had taken the medicine before the symptoms appeared.
  • They had taken all the necessary precautions.
  • She had taken the test before she got the results.
  • Sep 19, 2017 ... For example, "When I worked at the DMV, the anger management course I had taken the year before really paid off." You took the course before ...
  • Aug 2, 2023 ... I was wrong, so here are some of the pieces of advice I wish I had taken more seriously. Admitting you don't know something is okay. There ...
  • Jun 18, 2022 ... "I took a nap" is simple past tense, also called the preterite. Just like the name, it's simple. You did it and now it's done. "I had taken ...
  • May 1, 2012 ... What are the difference between them? I found they all described actions in the past. 1) I took the pen before she did. 2) I had taken the pen ...
  • Jan 15, 2020 ... At first, I thought that's who he would be—a version of me if I had taken a different path. But he quickly became his own person as I wrote ...
  • Feb 7, 2016 ... Sometimes, I Wish I Had Taken a Year Off. Fighting the stigma associated with stepping away from graduate school. By Lindsay Oden.
  • Jul 1, 2021 ... There are some images that are burned into my retina, photographs that I wish I had taken. Images such as William Klein's Gun 1, New York ...
  • Oct 5, 2023 ... If I had taken my own advice this wouldn't have happened. When I work on network audits with my clients, they sometimes question why they ...
  • Jan 14, 2014 ... Closed 10 years ago. Improve this question. Which of the following sentences is correct: I've just uploaded the photo I had taken ...
  • Oct 20, 2024 ... 219 likes, 17 comments - laurenlingbrown on October 20, 2024: "I wish I had taken more pictures ✨ thank you @osahontongo for documenting ...

Alternatives:

  • I had chosen
  • I had selected
  • I had picked
  • I had decided
  • I had opted

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