Tenses

Emad RaghebMember

He decided that he (wanted - had wanted) to become a writer.

Which one is correct?

6/29/213:32 AM

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ahmed_btmMember

Hi, Emad,

@Emad Ragheb posted:
He decided that he (wanted - had wanted) to become a writer.
Which one is correct?

I see that 'wanted' is the natural one to use.

6/29/214:42 AM

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David, ModeratorModerator

I agree with Ahmed that "wanted" is the better answer, because the meaning of the sentence with "had wanted" would require a very special context. For example, if someone suffered amnesia and forgot what his previous desires were, he might come to various decisions about what he had wanted (earlier).

6/29/211:57 PM

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