Past perfect tense examples. Past Perfect. Past perfect tense. Interrogative sentences

Past Perfect is one of the forms of the past tense, denoting an event that happened at a certain moment before another action began.

The very existence of this grammatical phenomenon is a vivid example of how ordered the English language is, how important the sequence of completed events is within the framework of its type-time paradigm. As shown in the diagram below, the action expressed in this tense occurs before some other action in the past.

Also, instead of action 2, there may be some point in time in the past, before which some event occurred, as shown in the following example:

Methods of forming Past Perfect

Affirmative sentences

In order to get a statement in the Past Perfect, you need the verb had and the 3rd form of the main verb (V3). The ending - ed is added to the regular verb, and if the verb is irregular, its form is taken from the 3rd column (Participle II).

Below is a table with an example where you can observe the construction of this past tense form.

It is worth noting that abbreviations are common. In statements, had is combined with using an apostrophe (‘)

She had = She'd

I had = I'd

We had = We'd

Below are examples of the use of verbs in the Past Perfect, both in full and in shortened form.

Negative type of sentences

Negative sentences are formed by adding not between had and the semantic verb. In this case, the words are arranged in the same order as in the affirmative.

Abbreviated forms in speech are used much more often than full ones. To shorten, you need to combine the auxiliary verb had with the particle not using an apostrophe (’), as shown below:

I had = I hadn’t

You had = You hadn’t

She had = She hadn’t

Below are examples of the use of verbs in the Past Perfect, both in full and in shortened forms of negative types of sentences.

Interrogative sentences

In interrogative sentences, the word order will be reversed. As can be observed in the table below, the auxiliary verb had should come first, then the subject, and then the semantic verb V3:

The following table shows examples of using the Past Perfect in interrogative sentences. You can also observe that the word order is reversed everywhere:

Using the Past Perfect

1. Most often Past Perfect means an event in the past that happened before some other action. This subsequent action often occurs in the Simple Past.

We drove up to the opera house, but the performance had finished. – We arrived at the opera house, but the performance had already ended. (first the performance ended, then we arrived at the opera house).

2.Past Perfect denotes an event, which happened in the past at the designated time. In this case, the very moment at which the action was completed will be indicated. In the example below, this point is indicated by by:

Matt had finished repairing the car by 9 o’clock. – Mat finished repairing the car by 9 o’clock. (repair was completed by the time the clock was 9)

3.Sometimes the Past Perfect indicates that an event expressed in this tense is the cause of another, subsequent action or state.

She was happy. She had received lots of gifts. - She was happy. She received many gifts.

She didn’t invite him for dinner as she had burnt the chicken in the oven. “She didn’t invite him to dinner because she burned the chicken in the oven.”

4.Using Past Perfect denotes a continuous action that began earlier and continued for some time. In this case, the prepositions since and for are most often used, which are translated as “since” and “during”, respectively.

He died last Monday. We had remembered him since he was a toddler. “He died last Monday.” We remembered him since he was a one-year-old baby.

She was a talented violinist. We had loved her playing for 10 years. – She was a talented violinist. We enjoyed her playing for 10 years.

It should be noted that the Past Perfect in this case is used only with that express emotions and perception. For example, love, know, adore, think, feel, regret, etc. With dynamic verbs, the Past Perfect Continuous is necessary to express duration.

Ben retired on July, 2. This dude had been coaching us for 10 years. – Ben retired on the second of July. This guy worked as our coach for 10 years.

5. In conditional sentences of the third type Past Perfect used to express regret about something that did not happen. Something in the past could have been done if the condition had been met, but at the present moment it is no longer possible to influence the situation.

If I had met Harry, I would have given a hug to him. “If I met Harry, I would hug him.”

If she had ironed her dress, her parents would have given her some more funds. If she had ironed her dress, her parents would have given her more money.

6. In sentences that use words such as hardly... when and no sooner... than, Past Perfect denotes a sequence of events. The use of this tense emphasizes that one action happened immediately after another. Such constructions are translated using the expressions “didn’t have time...”, “as soon as...”, “barely...”. In sentences of this type the opposite is true.

Hardly had Jens gone out, when somebody threw a stone to his head. Jens had barely left when someone threw a stone at his head.

No sooner had Tony sunk into the sea water than the funny dolphin was seen nearby. – Before Tony had time to dive into the sea water, a funny dolphin appeared nearby.

Use of time adverbs

Past Perfect is used with the following time markers:

• by(at some time/moment)
  Kate had smoked 10 cigarettes by the moment they came (Kate smoked 10 cigarettes by the time they came);
• after(after)
  After he had lost 10 pounds, he changed the size of his clothes (After he lost 10 pounds, he changed the size of his clothes);
• before(before/before)
  Before I came home, I had delayed at college to help the tutor (Before I came home, I stayed in college to help the teacher);
• when(When)
  Molly had crossed the brook when the dog looked at her (Molly crossed the brook when the dog looked at her);
• earlier(earlier)
  I didn’t know where my boyfriend was as he had snaffled my money earlier (I had no idea where my boyfriend was, since he stole my money earlier);
• just(just now)
  It was 7 p.m. and she had just taken the shower (It was 7 o'clock in the evening and she had just taken a shower);
• already(already)
  They were going for that city as she had already got a new job (They moved to that city because she had already found a new job);
• yet(still, already)
  They arranged the party but they hadn’t brought the drinks yet (They organized the party, but haven’t brought the drinks yet).

Also used with markers such as yet, already and just. It is necessary to understand that when using the Past Perfect, the speaker refers to the past, and the Present Perfect denotes an event that happened in the past, but its consequences affect the present.

I have written 7 poems already. – I have already written 7 poems. (I already have 7 written poems)

By the moment I lost my vision, I had written 7 poems already. – By the time I lost my sight, I had already written 7 poems. (I had already written 7 poems, and then I lost my sight).

Cases of replacing Past Perfect with Past Simple

At the moment, there is a tendency to replace Past Perfect with Past Simple if the order of actions is obvious from the context. Most often this happens in . Sentences like these use different time markers.

• after (after)

After she had washed the walls in the bathroom, she peeled the vegetables for a salad. = After she washed the walls in the bathroom, she peeled the vegetables for a salad.
After she washed the bathroom walls, she peeled the vegetables for the salad.

• before (before/before)

I had visited my cousin once before I left for Hungary. = I visited my cousin once before I left for Hungary.
I visited my cousin once before I left for Hungary.

• earlier (earlier),

I helped my neighbors though I was incensed by them as they had crashed my motorbike earlier. = I helped my neighbors though I was incensed by them as they crashed my motorbike earlier.
I helped mine neighbors, Although was Very angry on them, That's why What They smashed my moped.

But: If the conjunction when is used in a sentence, changing the tense is not possible, as the meaning will change.

When we hauled our bags to the hotel, Mary had checked in. – When we brought the bags to the hotel, Mary had already checked in.
(Past Perfect means Mary checked in before we even brought our bags to the hotel)

When we hauled our bags to the hotel, Mary checked in. – When we brought our bags to the hotel, Mary checked in.
(Past Simple shows that we brought our bags to the hotel first, and then Mary checked in)

At first glance, this time seems difficult. It is important to remember the basic principle - the Past Perfect is where two actions occurred sequentially. The one that happened before is expressed in the Past Perfect, and the one that happened after it is expressed in the Past Simple.

In addition, this tense indicates that some past event has ended at some point. In order to make it easier to understand in what cases this tense is used, it is necessary to remember the markers that are used with the Past Perfect, study the structure of sentences, and also visualize the sequence of actions.

And in order to finally consolidate the material and put everything “on the shelves,” we recommend watching the video:

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Past Perfect– past perfect tense. Its peculiarity is that it is not used independently in speech and is necessarily tied to another action. Why do the British need this? The reason lies in their love of order and organization. In Russian, we use one tense to express all past actions. We list a few events, then go back to another event that happened before all the others. An Englishman will never allow such “chaos” in his speech. If he forgot about an important event that happened before everyone else, he will report it at a time specially designated for this - Past Perfect.

How is the past perfect formed?

Statement

Predicate in Past Perfect consists of two parts: an auxiliary verb had and the third form of the main verb (we add the ending to the regular verb - ed, and take the irregular form from the third column).

Negation

In a negative sentence between an auxiliary verb had and the particle appears as the main verb not.

As in many other times, in Past Perfect There are shortened forms that are used in colloquial speech. In an affirmative sentence had combined with a pronoun, in the negative - with a particle not. For example:

• I'd done.
• You'd decided.
• I hadn't done.
• You hadn't decided.

Question

An interrogative sentence begins with an auxiliary verb had followed by a subject and a main verb.

In order to consistently study Past Perfect, we have divided all its functions into three levels. In the green block you will find what you need to know at a basic level, in the yellow block - at an intermediate level, in the red block - at a high level.

Using the Past Perfect

First level

Past Perfect always goes hand in hand with another action in the past. Past Perfect shows an action that occurred before another action or a specific point in the past. Another action in the past is most often indicated Past Simple, and special words may be used: by... (at some time/moment), after(after), before(before, before) when(When), earlier(earlier), first(first, first).

We arrived at the station at 7.30, but the train had left. – We arrived at the station at 7:30, but the train was already gone. (first the train left, then we arrived at the station)

He had been a usual clerk before he became a successful businessman. - He was an ordinary clerk before that, How became a successful businessman.

Often Past Perfect explains the reason: we want to show that the action expressed Past Perfect, caused another action to occur.

He was hungry. He hadn't eaten for eight hours. - He was hungry. He did not eat eight hours.

She couldn’t buy a new pair of shoes as she had lost her credit card – She couldn’t buy a new pair of shoes because lost credit card.

Time Past Perfect similar in meaning to Present Perfect with the difference that the time of action does not take place in the present (now), but in the past (then).

They are not at home. They have gone shopping. →They were not at home. They had gone shopping.
Their No Houses. They gone go shopping. → Their did not have Houses. They gone go shopping.

Another common feature Present Perfect And Past Perfect– adverbs just(just now), already(already), yet(already, yet).

They were moving to another country, but they hadn't told their parents yet. – They moved to another country, but haven't said yet about this to your parents.

The most common mistake made with Past Perfect– use this tense where it is not necessary, most often instead Past Simple. For example, when we talk about a simple action that happened a long time ago. remember, that Past Perfect only works when there are two actions.

I learned English at school. - I learned English at school.
I had learned English before I entered the university. - I learned English before that, How entered the University.

Where else is the past perfect found?

Average level

1. Past Perfect shows that an action began in the past and continued until a certain point in the past. Prepositions already familiar to us are often used here. for(during) and since(since).
   

   He didn't want to drive that car anymore. He had driven it for 30 years. “He didn’t want to drive that car anymore.” He drove her 30 years old.

   Her speech was impressive. She had worked on it since Monday. “Her speech was impressive. She worked over it since Monday.

   This feature is not fully applicable to Past Perfect, she belongs by right Past Perfect Continuous. Past Perfect in this sense it is used with stative verbs (), that is, verbs that cannot "last".

   Before we talked, Mary had been upset for three days. She had been crying all this time. – Before we talked, Mary was upset for three days. She cried all this time.

2. IN Past Perfect, As in Present Perfect, there is a function with which we talk about personal experiences. The difference is that Past Perfect we use when talking about our experiences in the past.
   

   The last week of my holidays was the worst week I had ever had. – The last week of my vacation was the worst week I’ve ever had. was.

   By the time I moved to Dublin I had written seven books and I was working hard on the eighth. – By the time I moved to Dublin, I wrote seven books and actively working on the eighth.

Complex cases of using Past Perfect

High level

1. Past Perfect used after if in conditional sentences of the third type (). This type of conditional shows regret about the past. We could have done something in the past if we had fulfilled the condition, but in the present we can no longer change the situation.
   

   If I had known about your problem, I would have helped you. – If I knew about your problem, I would help you.

   If you had read the morning newspaper, you would have agreed with me. – If You read morning newspaper, you would agree with me.

2. Past Perfect used in structures hardly ... when And no sooner ... than. These constructions show that one action happened immediately after another. The peculiarity is that they use reverse word order, as in a question. Such sentences are translated into Russian using the words “as soon as”, “I didn’t have time”, “as soon as I did”.
   

   Hardly had the plane landed at the Miami airport, when it started to rain. – Barely airplane landed at Miami airport, How it started to rain.

   No sooner had I chewed my sandwich than somebody knocked at the door. – Did not have time I chew your sandwich How someone knocked the door.

3. In modern English Past Perfect are increasingly being replaced by Past Simple, this is especially true for American English. We can use Past Simple instead of Past Perfect, if the sequence of events is clear from the context. In such sentences there are words after(after), before(before), earlier(earlier), first(first, first), etc.
   

   After he had finished repairing his car, he took a shower. = After he finished repairing his car, he took a shower. – After He finished repairing the car, he took a shower.

   I agreed to meet her though I was angry with her as we had quarreled earlier. = I agreed to meet her though I was angry with her as we quarreled earlier. “I agreed to meet her, although I was angry with her, because we had a fight.

   This rule does not work with the conjunction when(when): changing tense may change the meaning of the entire sentence.

   When we came home, she had cooked already prepared dinner. (Past Perfect means dinner was done before we got home)

   When we came home, she cooked dinner. - When we came home, she prepared dinner. (Past Simple shows that first we came home and then she cooked dinner)

The more complex time seems, the less meaning it has. This rule also applies to Past Perfect. The main thing to remember is that next to Past Perfect there must be another action in the past. To better remember this time, take the test and download the table, which you can always look at and refresh your knowledge.

(*.pdf, 183 Kb)

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Test

Past Perfect – past perfect tense in English

Past Perfect- is formed using the auxiliary verb to have in the Past Indefinite (had) and the past participle (Past Participle) of the main verb.

HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE

In the interrogative In the Past Perfect form, the auxiliary verb comes before the subject, and the main verb comes after the subject.

Negative the form is formed using the negative particle -not, which is placed after the auxiliary verb.

MeaningPastPerfect

There is no analogue to this tense in the Russian language, so this tense causes difficulties for Russian speakers.

Compare:

When I arrived at work they had already finished the meeting. (Everything is in the past tense in Russian)

In English, different verb tenses are used in similar sentences:

When I came to work they had already completed the meeting (came – Past Simple, had completed – Past Perfect)

Past perfect example sentences

Susan had left the party when he arrived. – Susan left the party when he arrived

The Past Perfect is rarely used in everyday speech.

The point of using this form is that it is important for the speaker to establish the sequence of events in the past.

UconsumptionPastPerfect

PastPerfect expresses an action in the past that occurred and ended before another past action or before some point or period of the past tense. Past Perfect is a pre-past tense because it describes a past perfect action in relation to the moment, which is also the past. This point can be indicated:

A) time notation, such as: by the end of the year - by the end of the year, by four o"clock - by four o'clock, by Friday - by Friday, by the 14th of November - by November 14, by that time - by that time, etc. .P.:

He had written only two reports by four o’clock – He only wrote two reports by four o'clock

Marina had left by the 15 th of June – Marina left (already) by June 15

By ten o'clock on Friday I had already repaired my car – By 10 o'clock I had already repaired my car

b) another past action, which is expressed by a verb in the Past Indefinite, and which occurred after the event expressed by the Past Perfect form:

When I arrived at the airport the plane had already gone – When I arrived at the airport, the plane had already taken off (the verb arrived expresses an action that happened later - it arrived at the airport, and the plane took off before that)

They had discussed the contract when I come – When I arrived, they discussed the contract

c) The moment before which the action expressed by Past Perfect took place may not be specified specifically in this sentence. It is indicated in another sentence:

She received a letter from my mother yesterday. She had not heard from her for a long time. – She received a letter from my mother yesterday. She hasn't heard from her for a very long time

Important:

In a situation where we are talking about two or more past actions that are conveyed in the order in which they occurred, they are expressed by verbs in the Past Simple (Indefinite):

I took a bath and went to bed - I took a bath and went to bed.

But if the sequence of actions is interrupted by a mention of previously performed actions, then such previously accomplished actions are expressed by verbs in the Past Perfect:

I met Jack, we had lunch and went to office but i remembered that i had promised my wife to call her – I met Jack, we had lunch and went to the office, but I remembered that I promised to call my wife

(In this example, the verbs met, had, went, remembered - indicate the sequence of actions that took place in the past in the order in which they occurred, but the verb had promised - used in the Past Perfect interrupts this chain, because he PROMISED his wife before how he met Jack, they had dinner, etc.)

She came home late in the evening. She had signed three contracts had called clients. She had dinner and went to bed – She came home late in the evening. She concluded 3 contracts and called clients. She had dinner and went to bed.

The negative form of the Past Perfect means that at a certain point in the past the action has not yet ended:

I had not read the book by Saturday - I had not yet read this book by Saturday.

When we called for Julia, she hadn't yet got up - When we went to pick up Julia, she had not yet gotten up (she was in bed).

Other uses of the Present Perfect:

a) Past Perfect is used instead of Past Perfect Continuous (with verbs not used in Continuous). Such a sentence must indicate the time during which the action took place.

Important:

Verbs expressing hope, intention, desire: hope hope, expect expect, think think, want want etc. are used in the Past Perfect form when it is implied that they didn't come true.

I had hope you would help me - I hoped that you would help me (but you didn’t).

I had thought you knew about our problem - I thought you knew about our problem (but I was wrong).

b) Past Perfect can be used in cases where Past Perfect Continuous could be used. This is done in order to focus attention not on the duration of the process, but on the very fact of the action.

When I found out about her she had lived in USA for three years – When I found out about her, she had been living (already) in the USA for 3 years.

c) Past Perfect can be used in subordinate clauses of time, the action of which is future in relation to past events. Such sentences are introduced by time conjunctions: after after, when When, assoonas as soon as,until (till) until, and so on. The speaker expects this action to be completed before the action of the main clause occurs. In this meaning, the Past Perfect is translated into Russian by the form of the future tense.

He said that he would take a vacation as soon as he had finished the project – He said he would take a vacation as soon as he finished the project

She would sit with her baby tonight after Maria had gone – She'll be babysitting her baby tonight after Maria leaves.

The Past Perfect Tense, as well as the pluperfect tense, is used for actions that happened before another. Very often used with . Learn how to conjugate the past perfect tense in English, and learn the rules, examples, and uses of the past perfect. After the rules, you can do exercises to test your grammar skills. In Russian we pronounce this time [past perfect] - English transcription.

Text on the topic Past Perfect. Read and pay attention to the highlighted words.

I had never seen such beautiful sights before I visited Cardiff in 2013. I had saved money for 4 years before I booked my trip to Cardiff. I was very excited! Before my trip to Cardiff, I had never been out of Germany.
When I went to Cardiff, I spent many days touring that wonderful city. The city was not so big. Sometimes I got lost and asked for directions. I asked for directions in English. That was easy because I had studied English for 3 years before I visited Cardiff.
By the time I left Cardiff, I had toured many beautiful places. National Museum of Cardiff, Cardiff Castle, Wales Millennium Centre. Before I visited Cardiff, I had only seen those places on television.

Rules for the formation of Past Perfect

The Past Perfect is formed using the Past Indefinite auxiliary verb to have and Participle II (past participle) of the semantic verb.

Formula:

Uses of Past Perfect

Let's look at the rules of use and example sentences in the Past Perfect, which will help you understand the use of this non-simple tense in English.

1. An action in the past that occurred before some specific moment in the past or an action occurred before another

Example:

— The party had already started by the time I arrived – By the time I arrived, the party had already begun. (The past action happened before the other).
—Rob had finished by 9 o’clock – Rob finished by 9 o’clock. (An action in the past that happened before someone at a specific point in the past).
— Abby missed the end of the film because she had fallen asleep – Abby missed the end of the movie because she fell asleep.
- I had finished most of the work by the time my boss arrived – I finished most of the work by the time my boss arrived.

2. As can be seen in the examples above, the Past Perfect is usually used together with

Example:

- I had sold my apartment before I moved to London – I sold my apartment before I left for London.
- I went outside as I had heard a strange noise – I went outside because I heard a strange sound.
— My mother was so angry because I hadn't done the shopping for her – My mother was so angry because I didn’t do the shopping for her.
- I had never seen such beautiful sights before I visited Cardiff in 2013 – I had never seen such beautiful sights before visiting Cardiff in 2013.

3. Completed actions in the past that have a visible result in the past

Example:

- He was sad because he had missed the train - He was sad because he was late for the train. (Visible result in the past; he was sad).
— She was pleased because she had been given the job - She was happy because she got the job.

4. Past Perfect is the equivalent

Example:

—Lauren can't find her keys. She has lost it – Laurent cannot find his keys. She lost them. (Present Perfect).
—Lauren couldn't find her keys. She had lost it – Laurent couldn’t find her watch. She lost them. (Past Perfect).
—There was no juice left because Ted had drunk it all – The juice ran out because Ted drank it all.

5. Two actions that happened in the past and we need to show which happened first

Example:

—When I left the house, I realized that I had forgotten my keys – When I left the house, I realized that I had forgotten my keys. (First action - I forgot the keys; at first I forgot them, then I went out and remembered).
—After I had finished digging the garden I decided to go for a walk – After I finished digging in the garden, I decided to go for a walk. (First action – had finished).
- I tape Betty some money only after she had promised to give it back the next day – I lent some money to Betty only after she promised that she would return it the next day. (First action – had promised).

6. The Past Perfect Tense in indirect speech

Usually the past perfect tense is used in indirect speech when the verb is in the past form.

Example:

- “I had a brilliant time,” Mr Jones said – Mr Jones said: “I had a great time.”
—Mr Jones said that he had had a brilliant time - Mr Jones said he had a great time.
— No one told me that the mall had closed– Nobody told me that the shopping center was closed.

7. The past perfect often refers to situations that have changed

In colloquial speech had often emphasized.

Example:

— A: What are you going to do this evening? – What are you going to do tonight?
-B:I had wanted to go to a bar but look at the weather! – I wanted to go to the bar, but look at the weather! (We focus on the verb had and the meaning is: now I have changed my mind about going to the bar).

8. Past Perfect in conditional sentences of the 3rd type

Example:

- No wouldn't have missed the meeting if he had been on time – He would not have missed the meeting if he had been on time. (But he didn’t show up on time, so he missed the meeting.)

We use this type of conditional sentence when we regret something or cannot change the situation in the present because in the past, the action was not performed.

9. Past Perfect is used with conjunctions hardly…when, scarcely…when, no sooner…than, barely…when

They are often used when one event follows immediately after another.

Example:

- I had hardly arrived to work when it started to hail – I barely arrived at work when the hail started.
- We had scarcely finished eating when the doorbell rang – We had barely finished eating when the doorbell rang.
- She had Barely won the competitions when her fans started to clap – She barely won the competition when her fans started clapping.
- I had no sooner turned my new computer on than it went down – I didn’t have time to turn on my new computer when it broke down.

• To add emphasis, the order of words can be changed.

Compare:

—Hardly had I arrived to work when it started to hail – As soon as I arrived at work, the hail started.
— Scarcely had we finished eating when the doorbell rang – We had barely finished eating when the doorbell rang.
—Barely had she won the competitions when her fans started to clap – As soon as she won the competition, her fans started clapping.
— No sooner had I turned my new computer on than it went down – Before I could turn on my new computer, it broke down.

Remember that after the adverbs hardly, barely, scarcely comes when. No sooner is used with than.(Sooner is the comparative form of soon).

10. Three conjunctions are used with this tense.

These conjunctions are very often found in dialogues, books, and newspapers. The Past Perfect is introduced by such conjunctions as when, before, after. They help us recognize the past perfect tense.

Example:

— Liza had left when Henry arrived.
or
—Henry arrived when Liza had left.

• Take note:

The most common mistake with the Past Perfect Simple is that this tense is overused or used when talking about the distant past.

For example, native speakers won't say that:

— The Romans had spoken Latin - The Romans spoke Latin.

But it's best to say:

— The Romans spoke Latin.

Because it describes a past event, not an event before another past event.

Verbs that cause confusion

A verb combination that often causes confusion in the Simple Past Perfect is Had Had.

For example:

- No had had enough to eat but he wanted an ice-cream anyway.

The first had is an auxiliary verb, in English Auxiliary or helping verb. The second verb had is in the past participle, that is, the past participle. This sentence can be written in English like this:
- Even though he ate enough, he wanted an ice-cream after that - Despite the fact that he was full, he wanted ice cream.

Word markers (words of indicators) in the Past Perfect

Signal words help us recognize which tense is used in a sentence. Word clues for the past perfect tense are listed below:
For, since, already, after, just, never, yet, not yet, once, before, by, by the time.

Some companion words for the Past Perfect are the same as for . The difference is that the auxiliaries for the past perfect refer to the past tense, not the present tense.

Examples of sentences with words with time markers:

— He had already eaten by the time we arrived – By the time we arrived, he had already eaten.
- I had never been out of Germany – I have never been outside of Germany.
— He had cooked dinner before Ann came - He prepared dinner before Anna arrived.

Sentence forms in Past Perfect

To conjugate the past perfect tense in English we follow the rule: had + past participle. The tables below show examples of affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences. Be sure to pay attention to the abbreviated forms that are often used in colloquial speech.

Affirmative sentences

The affirmative form in English is built according to the following scheme:
Subject + had + verb 3 + Rest of sentence

Negative sentences

The formula for forming negative sentences in the Past Perfect:
Subject + had + not + verb 3 + Rest of sentence.
Remember that the particle not comes after the auxiliary verb.

Short form of negative sentences:
- I hadn't crashed into a tree.

Interrogative sentences

In Past Perfect interrogative sentences, the auxiliary verb comes before the subject.

Short interrogative-negative form:

— Had they not Ridden a bike?
— Hadn't they ridden a bike?

Difference between Past Simple and Past Perfect

We use to describe events in chronological order. We use Past Perfect [past perfect] to describe that one of the events happened earlier. Compare two sentences:

—When he arrived, his wife left– When he arrived, his wife left (She left after his arrival).
—When he arrived, his wife had left– When he arrived, his wife left (She left before his arrival).

An extensive article that will cover the topic - Difference between Past Simple and Past Perfect

General Table Past Perfect

Past Perfect exercises and answers

Take tests on the past perfect tense to reinforce the material. In order to better remember new words and rules, we advise you to write all the exercises in a notebook.

Exercise 1. Open parenthesis. And write which action started first.

1. When she (leave) the house, she (realise) that she (forget) her keys.
First action is...

2. When I (see) Olga (realise) that I (meet) her before.
First action is...

3. Sara (start) studying after Sam (leave).
First action is...

4. They kept arguing about the money their mother (leave) them in her will when she (die).
First action is...

5. After I (finish) my homework I (decide) to go for a walk.
First action is...

Answers. Answers to the exercise:

1.left, realized, had forgotten. First action was forgotten
2. saw, realized, had met: had met
3. started, had left: had left
4. had left, died: had left
5 had finished, decided: had finished

Exercise 2. Expand the brackets using Past Simple or Past Perfect

1. I was worried because Peter (not call) yet.

2. I was so worried that I (call) Peter.

3. She (go) to the market and (buy) some vegetables.

4. Nancy (be) in a hospital for five weeks before she fully recovered.

5. My brother was upset because he (fail) the exam.

6. They got on the motorbike and (drive) away.

7. Nobody (know) where Ryan (put) the front door key.

8. I (be) 21 and I (just/leave) college.

9. When I (arrive), the show (start/already).

10. There were no sweets left when I came back. My sister (eat) them.

Answers. Answers to the exercise:

1.hadn’t called
2. called
3. went, bought
4. had been
5. had failed
6. drove
7. knew, had put
8. was, had just left
9. arrived, had already started
10. had eaten

Exercise 3. Put the sentences in interrogative and negative forms.

1. They (not practice) enough, so they lost the match.

2. When I came home, Ted (not paint) the walls yet.

3. The parrot flew away because my little brother (not close) the window.

4. I went to the country which I (not visit) before.

5. My parents (never go) to the UK either.

6. you (hear) the news before they told you?

7. What did she (find) before she cried?

8. you (finish) drinking your tea when Rob came?

9. she (have) breakfast before she left the flat?

10. Why Lucy (not clean) the kitchen before her mother-in-law came?

Answers. Answers to the exercise:

1.hadn’t practiced
2.hadn’t painted
3.hadn’t closed
4.hadn’t visited
5. had never gone
6. had you heard
7. had she found
8. had you finished
9. had she had
10. hadn't Lucy cleaned

Without breaking tradition, we suggest you make 5, or better yet 10, sentences in Past Perfect Tense. Don't forget to share your achievements in the comments below the article.

What is Past Perfect in English?

This is the time that shows that some action happened before another. Imagine that you woke up in the morning, had breakfast and decided to go to the shopping center. When you came closer to the car, you saw that someone had written on the window: Your soul was here.

And when you tell this story to your friends, you will need exactly this time, which is described in this article. It might sound like this in English:

— I had a quick cup of black coffee, got dressed and went out to the car. When I drew up closer to the car, I saw that someone had defaced my windscreen.
This way, your friends will be able to figure out that someone tampered with your windshield at some point in the past before you saw it.

Watch clips from films on our YouTube channel to see how actors use the Past Perfect.

Imagine: you want to tell a friend about how you spent the evening yesterday, about what you planned to do, but didn’t have time, or maybe you want to ask a couple of questions about his past, but you don’t know how to do it correctly.

The past perfect tense is one of the trickiest tenses in the English language. It occurs frequently in everyday speech, and it is almost impossible to avoid its use when speaking.

In this article you will learn how the past perfect is formed and when it is used, study the basic rules and analyze examples with translations of sentences found in the English language.

What is Past Perfect?

Past Perfect is the past perfect tense in English. It is used in cases where we talk about some action that has already ended at a certain point in time in the past (or before the start of another action in the past).

At the same time, the exact moment of the end of the action in the past may or may not be indicated (but is necessarily implied from the context).

He had washed the dirty plates - He washed the dirty plates (exact time not specified)

I had cooked dinner by 6 o’clock - I prepared dinner by 6 o’clock (exact time indicated)

The exact time is often indicated using the preposition by, but can also be expressed by another preceding action.

They had eaten pizza when I came to their place - They ate pizza when I came to them

The action (eating) ended at a certain point in time in the past (when I arrived).

IMPORTANT: do not confuse Past Perfect (past perfect) and Past Simple (simple past).

If something happened at a certain time in the past, we use the Past Simple, especially when we are talking about several sequential actions performed one after another. When it is important for us to show precedence, to “get out” of the sequence and indicate that one of the actions took place earlier than the other (others) - we need the Past Perfect.

Compare:

I learned Italian at school - I learned Italian at school (Past Simple, the person no longer studies at school)

I had learned Italian before I visited the Milan - I learned Italian before I visited Milan (Past Perfect is used for an action that completed before another action in the past)

How is the past perfect formed?

The Past Perfect tense construction is formed using the auxiliary verb had and the third form of the semantic verb (V3).

The auxiliary verb had is used with subjects of all tenses and persons (I / She / He / It / We / You / They)

If the semantic verb is of the correct form, then its third form (V3) is formed using the ending -ed.

If the semantic verb is irregular, then we take its third form (V3) from the table of irregular verbs.

For example:

to ask → asked (ask)

to open → opened (open)

to try → tried (try)

to feel → felt (feel)

to lose → lost (to lose)

to sleep → slept (sleep)

Statement

To make an affirmative sentence, you need to add to the subject the auxiliary verb had and the third form of the semantic verb (V3)

I / She / He / It / We / You / They + had + V3

I had stopped the car - I stopped the car

He had booked a single room - He booked a single room

We had frozen to death - We froze to death

She had finished writing letters by two o’clock - She finished writing letters by two o’clock

I had done = I’d done (I finished)

You had felt = You’d felt (You felt)

Negation

In a negative sentence, the particle not is added to the auxiliary verb had, and then the third form of the verb follows (V3).

I / She / He / It / We / You / They + had not + V3

I had not finished breakfast - I did not finish breakfast

She had not washed her clothes - She did not wash her clothes

We had not seen the sunrise - We did not see the dawn

had not = hadn’t

I had not done = I hadn’t done (I didn’t do)

You had not felt = You hadn’t felt (You didn’t feel)

Question

An interrogative sentence in the Past Perfect is formed according to the following formula: the auxiliary verb had is placed at the beginning of the sentence before the subject.

Had + I / She / He / It / We / You / They + V3

Had you opened the window? - Did you open the window?

Had he passed his exam? - Did he pass his exam?

Had they come by 4 o'clock? - Did they come at four o'clock?

Had the supermarket opened by that time? - Was the supermarket already open by then?

Special questions are formed using question words. Such as when (when), what (what), where (where) and others. Next comes the same word order as in a regular Past Perfect question.

QW + had + I / She / He / It / We / You / They + V3

What had I done? - What I've done?

When had he booked the table? - When did he reserve the table?

When is the past perfect used?

Most often, the Past Perfect is used in three cases:

• Actions that happened before another action in the past

Joan had drunk a smoothie before going to work - Joan drank a smoothie before going to work

He told you that he had met your brother - He told you that he met your brother

• Actions whose results have been seen in the past

I was upset. I had forgotten my bag in the car - I was upset. I forgot my bag in the car

My family was surprised to know I had passed all the exams successfully - My family was surprised to learn that I passed all the exams successfully.

• Hardly...when and no sooner...than

The Past Perfect tense is used in the constructions hardly...when, no sooner...than and similar ones. In Russian we would say “as soon as I...”, “as soon as I...”, “I didn’t have time...”. In this case, we also talk about some action before another action in the past, but the peculiarity is precisely the construction of the sentence - the reverse word order.

Hardly had I sent the message when he came - As soon as I sent the message, he came

No sooner had she come into the room than the telephone rang - As soon as she entered the room, the phone rang

Past Perfect tense markers

Phrases that indicate a point in time in the past will help you recognize that the Past Perfect time is in front of you:

• before (before)
• never before (never before)
• after (after; after)
• no sooner...than / hardly...when (barely; as soon as)
• by that time (by that time)
• by three o’clock (by three o’clock)
• by 9 pm (by nine in the evening)
• by evening (by evening)
• by morning (by morning)
• by that day (by that day)
• by the 6th of October (by the sixth of October)
• by that age (by that age)

With the words before and after, you can use both Past Perfect and Past Simple tenses, because they themselves build the order of actions in the sentence.

We left after we had finished our work (Past Perfect) = We left after we finished our work (Past Simple) = We left after we finished our work

Both options are acceptable, are not an error and are translated into Russian without loss of meaning.

Example sentences with Past Perfect

Affirmative sentences:

I saw that everyone had already finished - I saw that everyone had already finished

Jim bought a new wallet, as he had lost his old one - Jim bought a new wallet because he lost his old one

Hardly had Kate left the bus, when the accident happened - Kate had barely left the bus when the accident happened

He had cooked dinner when they arrived - He cooked dinner when they arrived

Negative Suggestions:

We hadn’t eaten anything before we went to bed - We didn’t eat anything before going to bed

Harry said that he hadn’t passed the exams yet - Harry said that he had not yet passed the exams

I hadn’t opened the bottle of wine by that time - I didn’t open the bottle of wine by that time

She had not worked before she graduated an university - She did not work before graduating from university

Interrogative sentences:

Had the plane arrived by that time? - The plane had already arrived by then?

How many times had she been married by that age? - How many times had she been married by that age?

Where had you gone before the party finished? -Where did you go before the party ended?