The PAST PERFECT TENSE denotes an action
which took place before another past action. It is
sometimes known as the had tense. It is formed by using
the helping verb had and the past participle of the main
verb.
The Past Perfect Tense is used:
1. for an action which took place and completed in the
past.
Examples:
He had hurt his back in an accident at his
workplace.
Bob had borrowed money from the bank.
We were glad that the train had arrived.
2. for an action which happened before a definite
time in the past
Examples:
They had said their prayers by ten o'clock.
We had cleaned up the whole place in one hour
after the dinner party ended.
3. to show an action happened in the past before
another action took place.
The event in the past perfect tense occurred before the
event in the simple past tense. The words usually used
here are when and after.
Examples:
They had already finished their
dinner when I arrived to join them.
When he had done his homework, he went for a
smoke in the park.
After I had eaten five apples, I felt ill.
We arrived at the cinema after the film had
started.
4.Two actions completed in the past
When two actions were completed in the past, a past
perfect tense is used to clarify which event happened
earlier.
Examples:
The museum occupied the building where the art
gallery was.
(The use of two simple past tenses
[occupied, was] implies the museum and the art gallery
occupied the same building at the same time.)
The museum occupied the building where the art
gallery had been.
(The use of the past perfect tense [had been]
shows the art gallery occupied the building before it
was occupied by the museum.)
I saw those movies that you listed for me.
I had seen those movies that you listed for me.
(The past perfect tense is used in place of the
simple past tense since I saw those movies happened
before you listed them for me.)
5. Past perfect tense and some adverbs
Words such as already, almost, just and as soon
as are also used with the Past Perfect tense.
Examples:
I had already bought an umbrella when it
stopped raining.
They had almost finished the food by the time we
reached there.
His whole house had just burnt down when the
firefighters arrived.
As soon as she had got married, she regretted it.
The PAST PERFECT TENSE denotes an action which
took place before another past action. It is sometimes
known as the had tense. It is formed by using the
helping verb had and the past participle of the main verb.
The past Perfect is used:
1. for an action which took place and completed in the
past.
Examples:
He had hurt his back in an accident at his
workplace.
Bob had borrowed money from the bank.
We were glad that the train had arrived.
2. for an action which happened before a definite
time in the past
Examples:
They had said their prayers by ten o'clock.
We had cleaned up the whole place in one hour
after the dinner party ended.
3. to show an action happened in the past before
another action took place.
The event in the past perfect tense occurred before the
event in the simple past tense. The words usually used
here are when and after.
Examples:
They had already finished their
dinner when I arrived to join them.
When he had done his homework, he went for a
smoke in the park.
After I had eaten five apples, I felt ill.
We arrived at the cinema after the film had
started.
4.Two actions completed in the past
When two actions were completed in the past, a past
perfect tense is used to clarify which event happened
earlier.
Examples:
The museum occupied the building where the art
gallery was.
(The use of two simple past tenses
[occupied, was] implies the museum and the art gallery
occupied the same building at the same time.)
The museum occuped the building where the art
gallery had been.
(The use of the past perfect tense [had been]
shows the art gallery occupied the building before it
was occupied by the museum.)
I saw those movies that you listed for me.
I had seen those movies that you listed for me.
(The past perfect tense is used in place of the
simple past tense since I saw those movies happened
before you listed them for me.)
5. Past perfect tense and some adverbs
Words such as already, almost, just and as soon
as are also used with the Past Perfect tense.
Examples:
I had already bought an umbrella when
it stopped raining.
They had almost finished the food by the time we
reached there.
His whole house had just burnt down when the
firefighters arrived.
As soon as she had got married, she regretted it.