Past Perfect

Past Perfect

by Mario Medina

​Use:

Time up to a point in the past:

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​We use the past perfect simple (had + past participle) to talk about time up to a certain point in the past.

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• She had published her first poem by the time she was eight. 

• We had finished all the water before we were halfway up the mountain.

• Had the police arrived when you called yesterday?

​Use:

Past perfect for the earlier of two past actions:

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We can use the past perfect to show the order of two past events. The past perfect shows the earlier action and the past simple shows the later action.

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• When the police arrived, the thief had escaped.

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It doesn't matter in which order we say the two events. The following sentence has the same meaning.​

• The thief had escaped when the police arrived.

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​Use:

Past perfect with before:

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We can also use the past perfect followed by before to show that an action was not done or was incomplete when the past simple action happened.

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• They left before I'd spoken to them.

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• Sadly, the author died before he'd finished the series.

Contractions:

We can contract the pronouns with the verb had in positive sentences:

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• ​She'd written a book by the time she was young.

• ​They left before I'd spoken to them.

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​We can contract had + not for negative sentences:

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• ​She hadn't written a book.

• ​I hadn't spoken to them.

Grammar structure:

We form the grammar of Past Perfect by using had + past participle:

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​+ We had gone before.

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​- They had not eaten yet./They hadn't eaten yet.

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​? Had you done the dishes? Yes, I had./No, I hadn't.

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​WH? Where had you been all this time? I had been there.

Multiple Choice

They left before I'd spoken to them.

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• Past perfect with before

• Past perfect for the earlier of two past actions

• Time up to a point in the past

Multiple Choice

She had published her first poem by the time she was eight.

​

• Past perfect with before

• Past perfect for the earlier of two past actions

• Time up to a point in the past

Multiple Choice

When the police arrived, the thief had escaped.

​

​

• Past perfect with before

• Past perfect for the earlier of two past actions

• Time up to a point in the past

Multiple Choice

My dad had cut the grass.

• +

• -

• ?

Multiple Choice

Had she ridden her bike?

• +

• -

• ?

Multiple Choice

I hadn't driven a car.

• +

• -

• ?

Multiple Choice

Sam had left us.

• +

• -

• ?

Multiple Choice

He hadn't told us a story.

• +

• -

• ?

Multiple Choice

Had she made her bed?

• +

• -

• ?

Open Ended

Write a sentence using the Past Perfect affirmative.

Open Ended

Write a sentence using the Past Perfect negaative.

Open Ended

Write a sentence using the Past Perfect interroative.