Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Jerry Chen]

Hello,
Please read the following passage: �This morning, my homeroom teacher tried to tell the class that I was the only person that had made a lot of noise in the study hall. Instead of mentioning my name directly, she stood beside my desk and said, �I am going to find out who was the first one that started making noise while others were quietly studying. I will make sure that he is properly punished.� In this sentence �I am going to find out who was the first one that started making noise�,� is it better to say, �I am going to find out who was the first one that had started making noise��?
If the original version is OK, then what's the difference?
Thanks for your help!

[OC Tutor]

Honestly, while both of those would be understood and may be correct, they both sound a bit awkward.

In real life, the person would probably say something like:

"I am going to find out who started making noises first"
or
"who made noise"

They might even say, "I will find out who instigated this."

Anything more than that is a bit too wordy. I would keep it short and sweet.

[Lorikeet]

I don't see any reason to use "had started" in that sentence. Usually the past perfect is used when something happened in the past before something else that happened in the past. (Before he entered the room, he had made a lot of noise so no one would be surprised.) However, I believe that usage is disappearing from modern American English, and the past is often substituted.