Education Past Perfect Tense
1. Past Perfect is formed using the past tense auxiliary verb to have (had) and the past participle form (Past Participle) of the semantic verb: I had worked, he had worked.
2. In the interrogative form, the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject: Had I worked? Had he worked?
3. The negative form is formed with the particle not, which is placed after the auxiliary verb: I had not worked, he had not worked.
4. In the interrogative-negative form, the negation of not is placed directly after the subject: Had I not worked? Had he not worked?
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affirmative form |
Interrogative form |
negative form |
Interrogative-negative form |
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He (she, it) had worked |
Had he (she, it) worked? Had they worked? |
I had not worked He (she, it) had not worked We had not worked You didn't work They had not worked |
Had I not worked? Had he (she, it) not worked? Had we not worked? Had you not worked? Had they not worked? |
The following abbreviations are commonly used in colloquial speech:
Time past perfect formed with an auxiliary verb to have in the past tense and the past participle of the significant verb, i.e. its "third form".
To have has only one form in the past tense had.
Second participle, or past participle ( Participle II), can be obtained by adding to the initial form of a significant verb the ending -ed:
examine - examin ed, enjoy - enjoy ed, close-clos ed
However, in English there is also a fairly large group of irregular verbs that do not form the past tense according to the general rules.
AT interrogative sentence The auxiliary verb is put in place before the subject, and the meaningful verb remains after it:
Had you brushed your teeth before you went to bed?
Did you brush your teeth before going to bed?
AT negative sentences the auxiliary verb is followed by a negative particle not. However, they can be reduced to the form hadn't.
How did you hope to pass the exam if you had not (hadn't) even opened the textbook?
How did you hope to pass the exam if you hadn't even opened your textbook before?
Cases of using Past Perfect:
1. When there is an indication of the point in time by which the action in the past ended:
By 9 o "clock we" d finished the work.
By 9 o'clock we finished the work.
She had written only two letters by noon.
By noon she had written only 2 letters.
2. When an action in the past took place before another action:
When you arrived, he had just left.
When you arrived, he had just left.
He had worked at the university for thirty years before he retired.
He worked at the university for 30 years before he retired.
3. In indirect speech to convey the present perfect and simple past tense:
He said he had studied English for two years.(He said: "I have studied English for two years.")
He said that he had been studying English for two years.
She said she had published her first story 10 years before.(She said: "I published my first story 10 years ago.")
She said she published her first story 10 years ago.
She had written a letter by 5 o "clock on Saturday.
- She had not written a letter by 5 o "clock on Saturday.
? Had he written a letter by 5 o "clock on Saturday?
Yes, he had. No, he had not. (No, he hadn't.)
4. To denote actions that began before a specified moment in the past and continue up to this moment. Typically, these actions are expressed using Past Perfect Continuous, but with static verbs used Past Perfect. In this case, the period of time during which the action took place must be indicated:
I felt as if I had known her all my - I had a feeling like
life. like I've known her all my life.
We went to see Mr Fennel who- We went to visit Mr. Fennel,
hadbeen a widower for two years. who was a widower for two years.
5. To express an unfulfilled hope, desire, etc., relating to both the past and the present and even the future tense:
I had hoped we could leave I was hoping that we could leave
tomorrow but it's beginning to tomorrow but it seems to be getting
look difficult. not easy (of a future event).
I had intended to make a cake but - I was going to make a cake, but
I ran out of time. did not have time (about the past event).
6. In subordinate tenses to express an action that is future in relation to past events and must occur before the start of the event expressed by the main sentence:
Not decided he wouldn't look at- He decided not to watch
his watch till he had read 30 pages. for hours until he reads 30
Past Perfect not used:
1) when it comes to the immediate sequence of events in the past, especially the immediate reaction of people:
I got a real shock when I opened - I got really scared when
the box. opened the box.
2) when describing short sequential actions performed by different persons:
When I put the cat out he ran- When I put the cat out, he ran away
away to the bushes. into the bushes.
3) in subordinate clauses relating to sentences where the predicate is expressed by the verb in Past Perfect:
He told me that someone had He told me that someone called
phoned when I was out. when I was gone.
pivot table
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Form formation |
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had + V+ ed/ III form of an irregular verb |
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Affirmative |
negative |
Interrogative |
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He/she/it had run. |
He/she/it had not run. |
Had he/she/it run? |
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You had not run. |
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They had not run. |
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Use cases |
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1. An action completed in the past, but connected to the present through a result. |
I had done my home work before he called me. I had gone shopping before they arrived. When I rank, she had already left. When I came back home, I found out that my wallet had been stolen. I though that I had seen him somewhere before. She had cooked dinner by 2 p.m. |
I had done my homework before he called me. I went shopping before they arrived. When I called, she had already left. When I got home, I discovered that my wallet had been stolen. I thought I had seen it somewhere before. She had cooked dinner by 2 o'clock. |
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2. An action that began before some point in the past and was still going on at that moment. Instead of The Past Perfect Continuous with verbs not used in Continous. |
They had known each other for many years when they decided to marry. They had lived in this town for years when the flood destroyed all the place. |
They had known each other for many years when they decided to get married. They lived in this city for many years when a flood destroyed the whole area. |
So, let's summarize word formation in THE PAST PERFECT TENSE.
4.1. Affirmative form:
I had come - I came
He had come - He came
She had come - She came
It had come - He, she, it, it came (about inanimate objects)
We had come - We came
You had come - You came, you came
They had come - They came
4.2. Interrogative form:
Had I come? - I came?
Had he come? - He came?
Had she come? - She came?
Had it come? - He, she, it, it came? (of inanimate objects)
Had we come? - We came?
Had you come? - You came? You come?
Had they come? - They came?
4.3. Negative form:
I had not come - I did not come
He had not come - He did not come
She had not come - She did not come
It had not come - He, she, it, it didn't come (about inanimate objects)
We had not come - We did not come
You had not come - You didn't come, you didn't come
They had not come - They did not come
Using THE PAST PERFECT TENSE
The main and most common cases of using Past Perfect:
1. When expressing actions that have already ended at a specified point in time in the past. Usually, these actions are expressed by the exact date, hour, etc.:
They had finished our work by seven o "clock. - They (already) finished their work by seven o'clock.
2. When expressing actions that preceded another action in the past:
She had written two articles, when the door was open and Bill Clinton comes in the room.
She had written two articles when the door swung open and Bill Clinton entered the room.
The Past Perfect Tense, also pluperfect tense, is used for an action 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 for the Past Perfect. After the rules, you can do exercises to test your grammar skills. In Russian, we pronounce this time [paste perfect] - English transcription.
Text on the topic Past Perfect. Read and pay attention to the underlined 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.
Past Perfect Education Rules
The Past Perfect is formed using the Past Indefinite auxiliary verb to have and Participle II (past participle) of the semantic verb.
Formula:
Cases of using Past Perfect
Let's look at the rules of use and examples of sentences in the Past Perfect, which will help you understand the use of this difficult tense in English.
1. An action in the past that happened before a certain moment in the past or an action happened 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 certain 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 had finished most of the work by the time my boss arrived.
2. As seen in the examples above, the Past Perfect is usually used in conjunction with
example:
— I had sold my apartment before I moved to London - I sold my apartment before I moved to 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 mom was so angry because I didn't shop for her.
— I had never seen such beautiful sights before I visited Cardiff in 2013 - I have 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 missed 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 can't 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 - 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 forgot my keys. (The 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. (The first action is had finished).
— I lent Betty some money only after she had promised to give it back the next day - I borrowed some money from 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 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 mall 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 a 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 a bar).
8. Past Perfect in conditional sentences of the 3rd type
example:
— He wouldn't have missed the meeting if he had been on time - He wouldn't miss the meeting if he was 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 hardly…when, scarcely…when, no sooner…than, barely…when
Often they are used when one event immediately follows another.
example:
— I had hardly arrived to work when it started to hail - I had barely arrived at work when the hail began.
— We had scarcely finished eating when the doorbell rang - We had barely finished eating when the doorbell rang.
— She had barely won the competition when her fans started to clap - She had 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.
- In order to emphasize, the word order can be changed.
Compare:
— Hardly had I arrived to work when it started to hail - As soon as I arrived at work, the hail began.
— scarcely had we finished eating when the doorbell rang - As soon as we finished eating, the doorbell rang.
— Barely had she won the competitions when her fans started to clap - As soon as she won the competition, her fans began to clap.
— 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 hardly, hardly, scarcely are followed by when. No sooner is used with than.(Sooner is a comparative form of soon).
10. Three conjunctions are used with this tense
These unions are very often found in dialogues, books, newspapers. Past Perfect is introduced by conjunctions such 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 notes:
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:
— He 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 ate, he wanted ice cream.
Marker words (pointer words) in Past Perfect
Signal words help us recognize what tense is used in a sentence. The clue words for the past perfect tense are listed below:
For, since, already, after, just, never, yet, not yet, once, before, by, by the time.
Some satellite words of the Past Perfect are the same as for. The difference is that the auxiliary words for the past perfect refer to the past tense, not the present.
Example 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 cooked dinner before Anna came.
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 scheme:
Subject + had + verb 3 + Rest of sentence
| Who? Who? | Form of verb (verb form) | Examples (examples) |
| I | had + Verb 3 | I had cleaned the floor |
| He/She/It | had + Verb 3 | He had crashed into a tree She had saved money It had lost the wallet |
| You | had + Verb 3 | You had seen the city |
| We | had + Verb 3 | We had found a coin |
| They | had + Verb 3 | They had ridden a bike |
Negative sentences
The formula for the formation of negative sentences in Past Perfect:
Subject + had + not + verb 3 + Rest of sentence.
Remember that the particle not comes after the auxiliary verb.
| Who? Who? | Form of verb (verb form) | Examples (examples) |
| I | had + not + Verb 3 | I had not been cleaned the floor |
| He/She/It | had + not + Verb 3 | He had not crashed into a tree She had not saved money It had not lost the wallet |
| You | had + not + Verb 3 | You had not seen the city |
| We | had + not + Verb 3 | We had not been found a coin |
| They | had + not + Verb 3 | They had not ridden a bike |
Abbreviated 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.
| verb to have | Who? Who? | Form of verb (verb form) | Examples (examples) |
| Had | I | Verb 3 | Had I cleaned the floor? |
| Had | He/She/It | Verb 3 | Had he crashed into a tree? Had she saved money? Had it lost the wallet? |
| Had | You | Verb 3 | Had you seen the city? |
| Had | We | Verb 3 | Had we found a coin? |
| Had | They | Verb 3 | Had they ridden a bike? |
Shortened 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. Past Perfect [paste perfect] we use to describe that one of the events happened before. 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 he arrived).
A detailed article that will reveal the topic - The difference between Past Simple and Past Perfect
General Table Past Perfect
| Offer types | PAST PERFECT |
| Affirmative sentence | S + had + V.3 (past participle) S- subject |
| Negative sentence | S + had not (hadn't) + V.3 (past participle) S- subject |
| Interrogative sentence (general question) | Had + S + V.3…?(past participle) S- subject WH-why, where, when, etc. |
| Special question | WH + had + S + V.3 + …? S- subject WH-why, where, when, etc. |
Exercises and answers for Past Perfect
Do past perfect tests 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 the 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 violating tradition, we suggest that you make 5, and preferably 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 mall. As you got 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, then 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 understand that someone messed up your windshield at some point in the past before you saw it.
Watch clips from films on our YouTube channel, how actors use the Past Perfect.
As we know, the British love order in everything, and the English language is no exception. In their opinion, each action should have its own order. In Russian, we use the same tense to express all past actions. We list a few events, then return to another event that happened before all the others. An Englishman will never tolerate such "chaos" in his speech. If he forgot about an important event that happened before everyone else, then he will report it in a specially designated time for this called Past Perfect. About him today and will be discussed. C "mon!
What is Past Perfect
Past Perfect Tense is the past perfect tense. We usually use it to talk about an action that ended at or before some point in the past.
For example: When he read the book, he went to bed.
What was the first action? First he read a book and then went to bed. That is, by the time he went to bed, he had already read the book. To show that the first action ended before the second happened, in the first part of the sentence, you need to use the Past Perfect - “When he had read the book, he went to bed.” In other words, we use the Past Perfect to show the sequence of actions, that is, that one action in the past happened before another.
How Past Perfect is formed (formulas + examples)
- Statement. The predicate in the Past Perfect consists of two parts: the auxiliary verb " had" and third form of main verb(to the correct verb we add the ending "- ed", and we take the form of the wrong one from the third column of the table of irregular verbs).
- Negation. In a negative sentence between the auxiliary verb " had"and the main verb appears particle" not».
As in many other tenses, the Past Perfect has abbreviated forms that are used in colloquial speech. AT affirmative sentence " had» unites with pronoun, in negative- with particle " not". For example:
I'd come.
You'd finished.
I hadn't come.
You hadn't finished.
- Question. An interrogative sentence begins with the auxiliary verb " had", followed by subject and main verb.
Past Perfect Marker Words
If the sentence contains the following words, then it refers to the Past Perfect Tense:
by- to;
hardly… when / no sooner… than- as soon as, barely, I did not have time;
after- after;
earlier- earlier, before - before;
first- first;
when- when;
just- just now;
already- already;
yet- already, not yet.
| Marker | Example | Translation |
| by | Unfortunately, most of the audience hadn't stayed by the end of the play. | Unfortunately, by the end of the performance, most of the audience left. |
| hardly...when | Hardly had they crossed the road when the accident happened. | As soon as they crossed the road, an accident happened. |
| no sooner… than | No sooner he had came in than he heard congratulations and his friends gathered around him.a | As soon as he entered, he heard congratulations and friends gathered around him. |
| after | After boy had done his hometask he went out to play football with his friends. | After the boy did his homework, he went for a walk. |
| earlier | She knew how to cook a cake because she had made it earlier. | She knew how to bake a cake because she had made it before. |
| before | James easily won this game because he had played it many times before. | James played the game easily as he had played it many times before. |
| first | First we had taken all our bags, then understood that we forgot our tickets on the table. | At first we took things, and then we realized that we forgot the tickets on the table. |
| when | John had sat to work when his boss called for him. | John sat down to work when his boss called him. |
| just | I just had sat to have lunch when my friend called me. | I had just sat down to have lunch when my friend called me. |
| already | We had already bought a cake when Jill called us and told that she bought a cake too. | We had already bought a cake when Jill called us and said that she also bought a cake. |
| yet | I hadn't served the table yet when the guests came. | I had not yet set the table when the guests arrived. |
Cases of using Past Perfect:
- The Past Perfect shows an action that happened before another action or a specific moment in the past. Another action in the past is most often indicated by Past Simple, and special words can be used: “ by"(to some time/moment)," after" (after), " before"(before, before)," when" (when), " earlier" (before), " first» (at first, at first).
Before Anna called her husband she had finished all the work. Before Anna called her husband, she finished all the work.
Nota bene: if actions are put in chronological okay, then you need to use Past Simple:
Anna finished all work and called her husband. Anna finished all the work and (then) called her husband (chronological order).
- The Past Perfect explains the reason: we want to show that the action expressed by the Past Perfect has become cause that another action has taken place.
He was hungry. He hadn't eaten for eight hours. - He was hungry. He hasn't eaten in 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 she lost her credit card.
- The Past Perfect is used after " if» in conditional sentences of the third type ( third conditional). This type of conditional shows regret about the past. We could do something in the past if we 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 the morning paper, you would agree with me.
- Past Perfect is used in constructions " hardly … when" and " no sooner … than". These constructions show that one action happened immediately after another. The peculiarity is that they use back order words, as in the question. Such sentences are translated into Russian using the words "as soon as ...", "I did not have time ...", "I barely ...".
Hardly had the plane landed at the Miami airport, when it started to rain. - As soon as the plane landed at Miami airport, it started to rain.
No sooner had I chewed my sandwich than somebody knocked at the door. - Before I could chew my sandwich, someone knocked on the door.
- Enumeration of actions in the past that happened before the time of the story generally:
I finally caught Lucky and looked around. The nasty dog had scratched furniture, had torn the wallpapers and had eaten my lunch on the table. - I finally caught Lucky and looked around. The nasty dog scratched the furniture, tore the wallpaper and ate my dinner on the table.
Education Past Perfect Passive
Like most times, Past Perfect has passive construction .
- Statement: subject + had been + verb 3 forms + [by an object].
The test had been finished by the end of the day.- The test was completed by the end of the day.
The picture had been painted by the Monday. - The picture was drawn by Monday.
Negation: subject + had + not + been + verb 3 forms + [by an object].
The test had not been finished by the end of the day. - The test was not completed by the end of the day.
The bicycle had not been repaired by 2 o'clock. - The bike had not been repaired by two o'clock.
Question: had + subject + been + verb 3 shapes + [by object]?
Had the questions been discussed before the exam?- Were the questions discussed before the exam?
Had the picture been painted by the Monday?- The picture was drawn by Monday?
Present Perfect vs Past Perfect
Very often, when translating from Russian into English, you can get confused in choosing the right time, because they both have similar features. Let's look at the table to get rid of doubts about the differences between Present Perfect and Past Perfect.
| Indicates that the action expressed by the Present Perfect time has completed by now or in the present time period: The shopping center has just opened. - The mall just opened. |
Indicates that the action expressed by the Past Perfect time happened before another action or a certain moment in the past: We came to the office, but the administrator had already gone away. - We came to the office, and the administrator had already left. |
| Shows that the action happened in the past, it is unknown and no matter when exactly, but its result is visible in the present: He knows her name. They have already met. - He knows her name. They have already met. |
Shows that an action happened in the past and became the cause, led to the fact that another action happened in the past: My brother felt hungry. He had not eaten since yesterday. - My brother was hungry. He hasn't eaten since yesterday. |
Nota bene: We recommend that you read a little theory again and complete the task in our online simulatorso that you never again have doubts about using Past Perfect.
Conclusion
So, today we examined the forms of formation of affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences in the Past Perfect, both in the active and in the passive voice. We remembered which markers you should pay attention to, and figured out how not to confuse the Present Perfect and Past Perfect with each other. But the most important thing to remember is that next to the Past Perfect there should be one more action in the past.
We offer you to get acquainted with other tenses of the English language
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The palette of the English system of times is simply replete with diversity. Some of the shades shine brighter, some dimmer. One of the most saturated can be called Past Perfect. How, with the help of grammatical constructions and the lexical diversity of this tense, to make speech expressive?
The past completed tense, as Russian-speaking “students” often call it, carries a certain sense of completeness. In other words, for example, when describing an event, we often make comments about what happened before the main action. “When my mother came, I already fell asleep” - in this sentence there are two past tenses - “came”, “fell asleep”. Which one happened first? The second means that we will express it Past Perfect.
Education
This form is one of the simplest. Yes, you will need an auxiliary verb. "had" + V 3 or Ved. Remember that all verbs in English can be grouped into regular and irregular. The latter have 3 forms, which, well, what to do, you have to learn by heart. All of them are placed in the table of irregular verbs. At this time, we need the 3rd column - V 3. If the verb is correct (it is not in the table), then we add the ending -ed.
I had worked. - work - the correct verb
I had taught. - teach is an irregular verb.
Let's take a closer look at the formation of all types of sentences in paste perfect using the example of to ask.
In writing, and in colloquial speech, abbreviated forms are often used, which facilitate the process of perception.
I had = I'd, you had = you'd, he had = he'd
had not = hadn't
I had written a composition by six o'clock. = I'd written a composition by six o'clock. I had written the composition by 6 o'clock.
I had not written a composition by six o'clock. = I hadn't written a composition by six o'clock. I had not written an essay by 6 o'clock.
As you can see, there is nothing terrible and difficult in education. It is worth remembering once that in the question had is placed before the subject, and in negation not is added to this auxiliary verb. It is important to remember that had is not translated.
Using The Past Perfect Tense
This time is not difficult in terms of use, if you only clearly understand the situations of its use. Some sentences often use signal words such as just, already, never, yet.
1. The action ended before another event in the past. The sentence can be complex (consist of two), one of which (dependent) is introduced by the unions when, before, after, or simple, in which the preposition by is used as an indicator of the end of the action.
- With the help of prepositions by the end of the year, by 3 o'clock, by Monday, by the time, before, after.
They had finally got their long-awaited pay rise by the end of the year. By the end of the year, they finally got the long-awaited pay raise.
Before he opened the door, he had called his sister. — Before he opened the door, he called his sister.
By that time they had finished their work. By that time they had already finished the work.
- Structures often used no sooner ... than (as soon as), hardly ... when (hardly, as), scarcely ... when (as soon as, so immediately), barely ... when (barely, like), which, by their meaning, can transform the sentence (inversion). As a rule, they are emotional in nature.
I had scarcely opened the window when the wind came blowing in. - As soon as I opened the window, the wind immediately began to blow.
Jack had no sooner arrived than he was told to come back. - Jack did not have time to arrive, as he was told to return.
- If there is no signal word in the sentence, then you will have to carefully read the context .
I tried to pnone Ann this morning. But there was no answer. She had gone out. I tried to call Anna this morning. But, there was no answer. She's already gone.
The rules for Past Perfect distinguish the following context patterns, remembering which it will be easier for you to use the desired form.
a. After designs: this/that/it was, the first/second/only/ best/ worst time smth happend:
It was the second serious mistake he had made in that job. — It was his second serious mistake he made in his work.
Those were the first things she had bought since Chrismas. It was the first thing she bought since Christmas.
B. With verbs that convey hope, plan, expectation, intention (but not fulfilled).
I had intended to visit a museum, but I ran out of time. I was going to visit the museum, but I didn't have enough time.
C. In indirect speech, with verbs such as say, tell, ask, inform, wonder. Moreover, Past Perfect is used in the subordinate clause.
I wondered if Jim had a chance to discuss the problem with them. I asked if Jim had the opportunity to discuss this problem with them.
2. An action that started before another action but is still ongoing. Here, stative verbs or, as they are also called, non continuous verbs are often used. All the little secrets of these verbs are revealed in the article "".
I knew he had been married for nearly 50 years ago. I knew that he got married about 50 years ago.
George made no answer and we found that he had fallen asleep for some time. George didn't answer and we found that he had been asleep for some time.
How to distinguish Past Perfect from other tenses?
| past perfect | past simple | Present Perfect |
| When the sequence of actions is violated (action precedes). Before I ate, I played and slept. The verb in the main clause in the Past Simple | Everything goes in order (actions are performed chronologically) Played, slept, ate. | When the action in the main clause is in the present |
| Was Ann at home when he came? No, she had already gone to work. Was Anya at home when he came? No, she already left for work (first she left, then he came) | Was Ann at home when he came? Yes, but she went to work soon. Was Anya at home when he came? Yes, but soon she left for work. (He came, then left - actions one after another) | |
| I wasn't thirsty. I had drunk a cup of tea. - I didn't want to drink. I just had a cup of tea. | I' m not thirsty. I' ve just drunk a cup of tea. - I don't want to drink. I just had a cup of tea. | |
| His car was dirty. He hadn't washed it for weeks. Yesterday he cleaned it. — His car was so dirty. He hasn't washed her in weeks. He washed it yesterday. | His car is dirty. He hasn't washed it for weeks. — His car is so dirty. He hasn't washed her in weeks. |
According to the rules for the Past Perfect, this tense can be used in the passive voice. All uses Past Perfect Passive the same, but the shape of the structure is slightly different. The negative and the question are built according to the same principle as in the active voice (after had - not, and auxiliary ch. had before lying)
I + had + been + V3 (Ved)
He (she, it) + had + been + V3 (Ved)
You + had + been + V3 (Ved)
They + had + been + V3 (Ved)
We + had + been + V3 (Ved)
I had been introduced to his friends before. “I was introduced to his friends earlier.
By three o'clock the dinner had been cooked. By 3 o'clock dinner was ready.
This article had been translated when they phoned. The article was translated when they called.
Well, as you can see, Past Perfect grammar is not too difficult. You look at the sentence, determine which of the actions happened first, and put in the correct form. If you learn how to use this time correctly, then believe me, you can tell any story or just retell the story in English without any problems.
