Form (Sentences)
“ had ” + past participle
Examples:
The train had gone.
I had had lunch.
He had been a waiter.
Use
We use Past Perfect Tense to describe
ONE
ACTION
happening before
ANOTHER
ACTION
Use
Example 1:
The train had gone when I arrived at the station.
a. Both
b.
and
are past actions.
happened before
.
Use
Time diagram of Example 1:
The train had gone when I arrived at the station.
The train had gone
Past
Now
Future
I arrived
We don’t know when exactly the train went (Action
1) but it went at any point of time before the
moment I arrived (Action 2).
Note
a. We use past perfect tense when necessary to indicate
the sequence of two past actions.
Example:
She had gone out when I got home.
Note
b. If the sequence is clear, the past perfect is not always
necessary.
Example:
She went out before I got home.
Note
c. However, it is often used for clarity.
Example:
She had gone out before I got home.
Note
d. We often use it when the second action is understood
but not stated.
Example:
I hadn’t realised (until you told me).
Note
e(i).
Compare Sentence (a) and (b)
a. When I had had dinner, I watched TV.
b. I had dinner before I watched TV.
• In both sentences (a) and (b), which action happened
first?
• How is the sequence of actions indicated in each of
the two sentences?
Note
e(ii).
In Sentences (a) & (b), the action of having dinner
happened first.
In (a), the sequence of action is indicated by the use of
the past perfect.
In (b), the sequence of action is indicated by the use of
before.
Form (Negative sentences & questions)
Sentence: She had finished the homework by the
time Mum came back.
Negative: She hadn’t (had not) finished the homework
by the time Mum came back.
Question: Had she finished the homework by the
time Mum came back?
The End