Korean Job Discussion Forums

[raewon]

Good day. I haven't posted a question in ages - but I'm still around!

Could someone help with the following sentences:


The test is more difficult than I (expected/ had expected).

I am even more concerned than I (expected / had expected).

I can’t finish this work alone because there’s more than I (expected / had expected).

When the verbs are in the present (is / am /can't finish), I need to know whether "expected" or "had expected" is grammatically correct. Or are both of them grammatically acceptable?

I could only find one related note in my grammar books:
We use the past perfect with verbs such as hope, expect, want, plan, think about, and wish to describe past intentions which were unfulfilled:
They had hoped to get to the summit, but Travers fell ill at base camp.

That's fine, but everything is in the past in that case. There is no mention about a present situation.

I searched on the Internet, but came across various opinions, with nothing to back them up.

I hope someone can help / clarify this one.

Thanks a lot.

[Zackback]

If you start with the present then just use the simple past next.
If you start in the past then use the “had" for previous time.

[Stain]

As Zackback posted "had" would be used if you're using the simple past before the comma. The test was more difficult than I had expected. If you use the simple present, then after the comma, the simple past "expected" is used. The test is more difficult than I expected. I don't know the exact rule, but it just makes sense to do it that way.