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I don't remember exactly when I first heard of you. I think it was when I received the very first xxxx single ,

I had read a good review of it and decided to order it . I received it with a letter from the band and I think the name of the label was written in this letter but I am not sure .

Shall I write "had decided" because this action is situated before receiving the single. However I don't think so because with the first past perfect the action is already situated before the reception and all actions (reading, ordering and receiving are in chronological order) . Am I right here?

Yves Lefol
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    The temporal relationship is already established by initial *had read, so although it's logically and syntactically "valid" to use Past Perfect again for had decided, it's not necessary. And the default principle is Don't use a Perfect form if you don't need it, so most native Anglophones wouldn't* repeat it there. Where would you stop? I had received* it?* I had thought* the name...?* – FumbleFingers Feb 17 '23 at 14:31
  • I should perhaps add that I don't see any point in using Past Perfect *at all* in the cited text. The fact that you must have read the review before deciding to place an order is so obvious there's no need to explicitly underline it by using Past Perfect for the earlier action of reading the review. Better to stick to Simple Past throughout, then you won't be tempted to keep plugging away with Perfect forms right up to ...I think the name of the label had been written* in this letter...* – FumbleFingers Feb 17 '23 at 16:09

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