Breakdown of بعد از اینکه او بورسیه گرفته بود، دکترا را شروع کرد.
او
he/she
ازaz
from
گرفتنgereftan
to take / to get
شروع کردنshoru' kardan
to start
Questions & Answers about بعد از اینکه او بورسیه گرفته بود، دکترا را شروع کرد.
Why do we use the Past Perfect gerefte bud here instead of the Simple Past?
Because we are using ba'd az inke (after) to show that one past action happened before another. Farsi often uses the Past Perfect for the earlier action (gerefte bud, had received), and the Simple Past for the later one (shoru' kard, started).
Why is it ba'd az inke and not just ba'd az?
You use ba'd az (after) before a single noun. But when you want to use 'after' to introduce a full clause with a subject and verb, you must add inke.
Why does doktora have the object marker ra, but bursiye doesn't?
The marker ra is only used for specific, definite direct objects. She started a specific program, so it is doktora ra (the doctorate). She received an indefinite scholarship, so bursiye does not get a ra.
How is the past perfect verb gerefte bud formed?
It combines the past participle of the main verb (gerefte, from gereftan, to take or receive) with the simple past of the verb to be (bud). This builds the meaning 'had received'.