Question

This is the sentence.

It has/had been voted International Venue of the Year and for several years won the most popular venue in the world.

Is the "has" is correct? or better to use "had"?

Answer 1

Both are correct, however with the following nuance...'Had' is appropriate when the venue is no longer available (e.g., demolished, decommissioned etc) and is being referred commemoratively maybe in a magazine or newspaper article. 'Has' is appropriate when the venue is available and is being assessed for future use. Hope this throws some light on the matter.