a problem with the past perfect tense
there's a phrase in the book "Elon Musk & the quest for a fantastic future"
it's the beginning of the 16th chapter

"General Motors and Toyota had teamed up in 1984 to build New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., or NUMMI, on the site of a former GM assembly plant in Fremont, California a city on the outskirts of Silicon Valley."

and here's my deal why does it use the past perfect tense? I don't see any other action in the past which could be anticipated

and...
"California a city on the outskirts of Silicon Valley."
why it is indefinite article?

Question

a problem with the past perfect tense
there's a phrase in the book "Elon Musk & the quest for a fantastic future"
it's the beginning of the 16th chapter

"General Motors and Toyota had teamed up in 1984 to build New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., or NUMMI, on the site of a former GM assembly plant in Fremont, California a city on the outskirts of Silicon Valley."

and here's my deal why does it use  the past perfect tense? I don't see any other action in the past which could be anticipated

and...
"California a city on the outskirts of Silicon Valley."
why it is indefinite article?

Answer

As to your second question - while there could (and I would argue should) be a comma after the word "California," it uses the indefinite article because there are many cities on the outskirts of Silicon Valley (among them Pleasanton, Santa Cruz, Livermore, Daly City).  If it used the definite article, it would imply that there is one city on the outskirts of California and it is called "Fremont."

Answers · 2

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