Past perfect

After reading so many past perfect structures in real context, I still haven't developed a feel for this particular tense. I don't have confidence in using it in a proper sense when I am especially writing. Sometimes I am confused whether I should use "past tense" or "past perfect".For example, in the given paragraph which I wrote to my brothers last night.


[Please share your honest opinion of the girl with him. Did you like her physique, and other tiny details? Discussions in convivial atmosphere are more than welcome and it will also help him to make a correct decision regarding this. I forwarded the pic to you guys because dad had wanted to know everyone's opinion about her so.....]

I am not sure how to write the last sentence:

1. I had forwarded the pic to you guys because dad wanted to know everyone's opinion about her so.....

2. I forwarded the pic to you guys because dad had wanted to know everyone's opinion about her so.....

3. I forwarded the pic to you guys because dad wanted to know everyone's opinion about her so.....

Which one is correct?

The basic idea behind the past perfect is that it usually describes something happening in the past before another thing in the past. For instance, "I had just finished eating when he arrived." Since "arrived" is in the past tense, and finishing eating happened before that, "finished" takes the past perfect. When using the past perfect, the later action doesn't necessarily need to be in the same sentence, or even stated at all; it could be implicit.

Now, regarding your sentence... I would actually use the present perfect for the first verb, and the preterite for the second: "I have forwarded the pic to you guys because dad wanted to know everyone's opinion about her." I wouldn't use "had wanted" because he still wants to know; using "had" would suggest he might not anymore. The use of the present perfect is harder to explain, but it's usual -- though not strictly required -- to use it when referring to attachments, preparations (for example, "I have bolded the relevant parts"), and the like. Perhaps somebody else could explain it better.

By the way, "convivial" is an odd word to use in that context... it has the right meaning, but it's a very rare word. You can still use it if you like; just be aware that not everybody is familiar with it.

- Kef

Thanks bud. You are a great help. BTW, a word "convivial" was used many times by one of my canadian friends. I actually picked it up from his emails. I did not know for sure whether it was a rare word or not. Thanks for pointing me that out.