As we know, the British love order in everything, and the English language is no exception. In their opinion, every action should have its own order. 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 tolerate such “chaos” in his speech. If he forgot about important event, which happened before everyone else, then he will report it in a specially designated time called Past Perfect. About him today and we'll talk. 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 the 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, you need to use the Past Perfect in the first part of the sentence - “When he had read the book, he went to bed.” In other words, we use the Past Perfect to show the order of actions, i.e., that one action in the past occurred before another.
How is Past Perfect formed (formulas + examples)
- Statement. The predicate in the Past Perfect consists of two parts: the auxiliary verb " had" And third form of the main verb(add the ending “-” to the correct verb ed", and we take the irregular form from the third column of the table of irregular verbs).
- Negation. In a negative sentence between the auxiliary verb " had" and the particle " appears as the main verb not».
As with many other tenses, the Past Perfect has shortened forms that are used in colloquial speech. IN affirmative sentence " had» unites With pronoun, V negative- with the particle " not" For example:
I'd come.
You'd finished.
I hadn't come.
You weren't finished.
- Question. An interrogative sentence begins with an auxiliary verb " had", followed by subject And main verb.
Past Perfect marker words
If a sentence contains the following words, then it belongs to the Past Perfect Tense:
by- To;
hardly… when / no sooner… than- as soon as I barely had 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 didn’t stay 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. | They had barely crossed the road when the 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 the boy had done his hometask he went out to play football with his friends. | After the boy did 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 this 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. | First we took our things, and then we realized that we had forgotten the tickets on the table. |
| when | John had sat to work when his boss called for him. | John sat down at his desk 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 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 Past Simple, and special words may be used: “ by"(to some time/moment), " after" (after), " before"(before, before), " when" (When), " earlier" (earlier), " first"(first, 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 placed in chronological ok, 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 reason that another action has taken place.
He was hungry. He hadn't eaten for eight hours. - He was hungry. He didn't eat for 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.
- Past Perfect is used after " if" V conditional sentences third type ( third conditional). 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 the morning newspaper, you would agree with me.
- Past Perfect is used in the 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 didn’t have time...”, “as soon as I...”.
Hardly had the plane landed at the Miami airport, when it started to rain. - The plane had barely landed at Miami airport when it started to rain.
No sooner had I chewed my sandwich than somebody knocked at the door. - Before I had time to chew my sandwich, someone knocked on the door.
- Enumeration of actions happened in the past until the time of the story generally:
I finally caught Lucky and looked around. The nasty dog had scratched the 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 lunch on the table.
Formation Past Perfect Passive
Like most tenses, the Past Perfect has passive design .
- 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 painted 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 bicycle was not repaired by two o'clock.
Question: had + subject + been + verb 3 forms + [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?- Was the picture painted by Monday?
Present Perfect vs Past Perfect
Very often, when translating from Russian into English, you can get confused in choosing the right tense, 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 an action expressed by the Present Perfect has been completed by now or during the present time: The shopping center has just opened. - Shopping mall just opened. |
Indicates that the action expressed Past tense Perfect, happened before another action or a specific moment in the past: We came to the office, but the administrator had already gone away. - We arrived at the office, and the administrator had already left. |
| Shows that the action occurred 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've already met. |
Shows that an action occurred in the past and caused or led to another action occurring 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 the short theory again and complete the task in our online simulator so that you never have doubts about using the Past Perfect again.
Conclusion
So, today we looked at the forms of formation of affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences in the Past Perfect, both in active and passive voice. We remembered which markers you should pay attention to, and figured out how not to confuse the Present Perfect and Past Perfect. But the most important thing to remember is that next to the Past Perfect there must be another action in the past.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with other tenses of the English language
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When learning a language, there comes a time when you need to move on to more difficult topics associated with times. However, just looking at all these Perfect and Perfect Continuous makes your head spin, and you get the impression that it will take months to study them. In fact, these are just far-fetched stereotypes that are easy to destroy. Actually, this is what we will do today, considering one of the most interesting times in English language– Past Perfect tense (pronounced [past perfect]).
Past Perfect Tense or Past Perfect Tense is a tense used to express an action that completed at some specific moment in the past. It is not used independently, as it is associated with another event.
Simply put, Past Perfect Tense expresses an action that happened before another action, so in order to emphasize this, they are used in the same context. Due to its function, this time is called “pre-past”. The past perfect is used relatively rarely, mainly in British English. American English, which strives to simplify the language as much as possible, often replaces this tense with Past Simple.
Still, if you are learning English, you need to know this time, because a) you can easily encounter it and you need to be prepared for it; b) there are certain situations where you cannot do without this time, otherwise you may be misunderstood. Therefore, let's look in detail at the rules, forms and methods of using this tense.
Past Perfect: rules of education
The tense grammar of the Past Perfect is based on two verbs: auxiliary and semantic.
The auxiliary verb is to have in the form of the past tense (had). A semantic verb is added to it, which is expressed by the past participle (Participle II). Everything is clear with the first verb, since it always remains unchanged for this tense. The second verb differs depending on whether it is regular or not.
For regular verbs, the third form or past participle is constructed similarly to the simple past tense. To form the form, you must add the ending -ed to the verb.
But the third form of the irregular verb will have to be learned, because the grammar of the language does not explain the ways of forming words of this group. You can study this and two other forms using the table of irregular verbs. Here are some examples:
| Infinitive
(Infinitive) |
Past Simple
(Past indefinite) |
PastParticiple
(Past participle) |
| be (to be) | was / were | been |
| begin (start) | began | begun |
| bring (bring) | brought | brought |
| come (to come) | came | come |
| drink (drink) | drank | drunk |
| have (to have) | had | had |
| put (put) | put | put |
| sing (sing) | sang | sung |
| swim (swim) | swam | swum |
| take (take) | took | taken |
To form a sentence in the Past Perfect with irregular verbs, only the third column is needed. Let's compare:
If you have studied Irregular Verbs in the past tense, the past participle will not be difficult for you, since many verbs are identical in both forms. However, this form may take time to memorize, so try to practice these words and make sentences with them to speed up the process.
Past Perfect: sentence forms
Having studied the rules of formation of the Past Perfect, you need to understand how to construct sentences in this tense.
- To construct an affirmative sentence in the Past Perfect, a standard formula is used, the only difference of which is the presence of the auxiliary verb had and the main verb in the third form:
If you want to express your thought not in the Past Perfect Active (active voice), but in the Past Perfect Passive (passive voice), after the verb had you need to put the verb been.
- For a negative sentence, all members remain in their places, but the negative particle not is added to the auxiliary verb had.
For both affirmative and negative forms Past Perfect abbreviations are used in English:
| Full form | Short form | |
| +
statement |
I had gone. She had told. They had put. |
I'd gone. She'd told. They'd put. |
| —
negation |
I had not found. He had not danced. We had not known. |
I hadn't found. He hadn't danced. We hadn't known. |
- The interrogative form of this tense depends on the type of question:
- A question that begins with an auxiliary verb (general and alternative) is formed according to the following pattern:
- Special questions start with question word, followed by the auxiliary verb had. Word order scheme:
- For a disjunctive question, a “tail” with an auxiliary verb with the particle not and a pronoun is added to the affirmative sentence in the Past Perfect, and only an auxiliary verb and a pronoun are added to the negative sentence. Examples:
For general and dividing questions short answers are used, which should only contain an auxiliary verb. Alternative and special questions require a complete answer, expressed in an affirmative or negative sentence.
Having studied the formation of the Past Perfect and the forms of the sentence, it remains to understand when and why this tense is used.
Past Perfect: use
Since the Past Perfect is used quite rarely, there are not many cases of its use.
- Past Perfect is used to show an action that happened before a certain point in the past. In such cases, in Past Perfect sentences you can find the preposition by - to (for some time).
- Time is also used to show that an action happened before another. This “other” completed action itself is used in the Past Simple. Next words can help build a similar construction in the Past Perfect:
- before (before),
- first (first),
- after (after),
- as soon as (as soon as),
- earlier (earlier),
- when (when).
| I came to see her, but she had left.
(I came to see her, but she had already left.) |
First she left (Past Perfect), and then I came and didn’t find her (Past Simple). |
| Before he became a famous actor, Hugh Jackman had worked as a clown.
(Before he became a famous actor, Hugh Jackman worked as a clown.) |
First he worked as a clown (Past Perfect), then he became famous (Past Simple). |
| I ran into the man with whom I had once quarreled.
(I ran into a man with whom I had a falling out once.) |
Once they quarreled (Past Perfect), and then after a while he met him (Past Simple). |
| After they had met each other at the festival, they became best friends.
(After they met at the festival, they became best friends.) |
First we met at a festival (Past Perfect), then we became best friends (Past Simple). |
| I had spent some time before I found the meaning of the Ukrainian words “list” and “apply” and the analogical words in Russian.
(I spent some time looking up the meaning of the Ukrainian words "list" and "apply" and their Russian equivalents.) |
First I spent time (Past Perfect), then I found it (Past Simple). |
In this construction, you can replace Past Perfect with Past Simple:
The exception is the word when, since using different tenses with this word changes the meaning of the sentence. Let's compare:
- The Past Perfect can be used to explain the reason why another action occurred. As in the case above, sentences in the Past Perfect are used with the Past Simple.
For this construction, an analogy can be drawn between Present and Past Perfect, the difference between which is that the first tense implies the present, and the second the past. Let's compare:
- Another similarity between these two tenses is the use of such adverbs as already (already), just (just), yet (not yet).
- In addition to the cases mentioned, the Past Perfect can be used to talk about one’s experience. Often in such sentences you can find the adverb ever (ever).
- The past perfect tense in English is used to list events that happened before another event.
- The Past Perfect can serve as the Past Perfect Continuous, showing that some action began and continued until a certain point in the past.
By Past rules Perfect in these cases can only be used when the sentence contains state verbs that cannot be used in Continuous tenses. However, the Past Perfect is now often used to show unfinished action with other verbs. Such sentences can be used with the words since (since) and for (during) used as prepositions.
- The Past Perfect tense is also used for the third type of conditional sentences (Third Conditional), which shows regret that something was or was not done in the past, but nothing can be changed. Study the table to understand how such sentences are constructed:
| If + Past Perfect, | would + have + verb 3. |
| Would + have + verb3 | if + past perfect. |
Note that if a sentence begins with “if,” you must use a comma before the second part to prevent the sentences from running together.
- You can also show regret or an intention that did not come true using verbs: think (think), hope (hope), expect (expect), want (want), intend (plan):
- You will recognize the past perfect tense in the following constructions:
- nosooner...than(as soon as) – the construction is used to show that after the first action the second happened immediately.
As you may have already understood, no sooner is used to introduce the first action in a sentence.
- hardly...when /before And scarcely...when /before(barely) – similar constructions that perform the same function as no sooner ... than.
Please note that such constructions use reverse word order. However, attempts to simplify the language also affected these phrases, so now you can find the following sentences with a direct order:
- The perfect form can also be used to express the future tense in the past in subordinate clauses.
Having carefully analyzed all cases of use of the Past Perfect, you can be convinced that the grammar of this tense and its practical examples are not difficult to understand. Even if initially you have problems with the formation and use of the past perfect tense, with proper practice and exercises, all difficulties will disappear on their own.
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Past Perfect is the “before past” tense in English, it expresses an action that ended before a certain moment or other action in the past. Used primarily in writing.
The most important thing about Past Perfect tense
This image contains the most basic information about the Past Perfect. Read more below.
Meaning of Past Perfect
Past Perfect expresses the “pre-past” tense, that is, the “before past” action that completed before a certain moment or other action in the past. Often sentences with the Past Perfect are qualified, such as: already- already, by ten o'clock(by ten o'clock) by that time(by that time), by the end of the day(by the end of the day), etc.
I had already left by that time. “I had already left by then.”
Or another, later action in:
I had already left when you came home. - I had already left when you came home.
Because of its specific meaning, this tense is rarely used in . It is most often found in.
Formation Past Perfect: rules and examples
Let's consider how the “before last” tense is formed in the affirmative, negative and interrogative form.
1. Past Perfect in the affirmative form
Past Perfect is formed with the help had(past tense of) and past participle.
Possible abbreviations: I’d, you’d, he\she\it’d, we’d, they’d.
Example sentences with Past Perfect:
She had written the paper by five o'clock. - She (already) wrote the work by five o’clock.
In this example, “five o’clock” is a moment in the past, and “wrote the paper” is an action that has completed by that moment.
I had deleted your photos when you asked me to keep them. – I (already) deleted your photos when you asked me to save them. (That is, he deleted it before she asked me not to do it).
If in this example the Past Perfect is replaced with , the meaning will be distorted.
I deleted your photos when you asked me to keep them. – I deleted your photos when you asked to save them. (So you asked me not to delete the photos and THEN I deleted them).
The Past Perfect form is rarely found in colloquial speech; colloquial speech is generally not characterized by complex turns of phrase. In a conversation, we are more likely to say three short phrases than one long one.
2. Past Perfect in negative form
Denial is built using not:
Abbreviations are possible: I hadn’t, you hadn’t, he\she\it hadn’t, we hadn’t, they hadn’t.
Example:
I had not written the essay by the end of my exam. – I didn’t write an essay by the end of the exam.
He had not left by the time we returned. “He wasn’t gone by the time we got back.”
3. Past Perfect in interrogative form
In question form had is placed before the subject.
If I ask: What is Past Perfect? Most of you will answer without hesitation that this is a tense expressing a past action before another past one.
How time is formed Past Perfect? Same as Present Perfect, only instead of have And has used had: had + V3/ Ved.
In theory, these facts about Past Perfect everyone who crossed the line knows intermediate, but in practice the situation is worse. The existence of the Past Perfect is constantly forgotten and used instead Past Simple, because it's easier.
In addition, there is an opinion that the past perfect is not used in English. It is not true. There are cases when it can actually be replaced by time Past Simple, but besides this, the Past Perfect has its own special functions in the English language, which is why it was singled out in a separate tense. Let's look at these functions.
1. The past is before the past.
Past Perfect should be used in all cases when we have several actions, but it is not clear which action occurred first. Let's look at the situation:
We arrived at the station. The train left. - We arrived at the station. The train has left.
What happened first: did we arrive or the train left? Did we catch the train or did we wave after him? How to combine these two actions into one sentence without losing the meaning?
If we still managed to catch the train, then we use the Past Simple (actions that occurred sequentially one after another):
We arrived at the station and the train left. - We arrived at the station and the train left.
But, if we are unlucky and still miss the train, then we use Past Perfect:
We arrived at the station but the train had left. - We arrived at the station, but the train had already left.
In the second situation we didn't even see the train because the action ended before we arrived. To show this sequence, we simply cannot do without Past Perfect.
Of course you can explain yourself simple sentences, without combining them into one and without bothering about tenses:
The train left. We arrived at the station. - The train has left. We arrived at the station.
If you report events in the sequence in which they occurred, then there will be no problems, you will be understood. But don’t you think that this way of expressing thoughts is somewhat simple; in life we don’t speak like that? Every now and then we return, as it were, “from the past to an earlier past”, we refer to more early events. I would like to combine these two actions into one sentence with the words before, but, long before, prior to, and therefore, to denote an earlier action we will use Past Perfect.
Another situation:
I came home but Jane had already left. - I came home, but Jane had already left.
She left before I arrived, I didn't see her. The Past Perfect shows us that this action was completed before I arrived. If we use Past Simple in this sentence, then the interlocutor may get the impression that she left after I arrived, that is, we saw each other.
I hope this is clear enough. In addition, the Past Perfect can overlap in use with , with the only difference being that instead of the present moment, we view the action from the point of view of another past action. The Past Perfect can be used with the same time markers as the Present Perfect, but always denotes an action that was completed before another past:
I had never been abroad before I went to the USA last year - I had never been abroad before I went to the USA last year. (Life experience in the past)
Had you ever met his sister before she came to us? -Have you ever met his sister before she came to us? (Life experience in the past)
She had already graduated from University when they offered her a job. - She had already graduated from university at the time they offered her a job. (An action completed at a time in the past)
My boss was angry with me yesterday because when he called me I hadn’t finished my report yet. - My boss was angry with me yesterday because when he called me, I had not yet finished the report. (Action unfinished at a time in the past)
He was happy because he had just got a promotion. - He was happy because he had just been offered a promotion. (An action completed shortly before another action, result)
2. The past before the past indicating a specific time.
Usually with the Past Perfect there is no specific time indicated. But in some cases the speaker may indicate a time when it is really important:
I had seen such a quick runner only once in 1977 before I visited that competition in 1985. - I saw such a fast runner only in 1977, before I visited that competition in 1985.
This team had won twice in 2000 and 2003 before they obtained victory last year. - This team won twice: in 2000 and 2003 before they won last year.
The important thing is that in sentences of this type, the Past Perfect can easily be replaced by the Past Simple, because dates and the word before let us know which action preceded the other.
But do not forget that if a specific time is not indicated, the use of the Past Perfect is mandatory!
3. A long action before another past.
The next situation in which it is advisable to use the Past Perfect is when an action began before another action in the past, and continued until it. Usually for such actions we use Past Perfect Continuous, but with state verbs we use Past Perfect, because state verbs are not used in tenses of the Continuous group. What's happened ? To show duration, we use the time indicator for :
They had had their old car for ten years when they bought a new one. They had an old car for ten years before they bought a new one.
She had been in Paris for four days when she visited the Eifel Tower. - She stayed in Paris for four days when she visited the Eiffel Tower.
In addition, the verbs work, teach, study, live are used with the Past Perfect, despite the fact that they are not verbs of state:
He had worked as a manager for two years before he was promoted. He worked as a manager for two years before he was promoted.
I had studied English for five years when I joined this group. - I studied English for five years before I joined this group.
4. In indirect speech.
The Past Perfect is certainly used in indirect speech when agreeing on tenses. Past Simple and Present Perfect when translating direct speech into indirect/indirect are replaced by Past Perfect:
"I called you," he said. - He said that he had called me.
“I called,” he said. - He said he called.
"We had already read that book," they said. - They said that they had already read that book.
“We have already read that book,” they said. - They said that they had already read that book.
5. In conditional sentences of the third type.
And the last case of using the Past Perfect in English: in conditional sentences of the third type. These are those conditional sentences in which we express regret about the past:
If we had left home earlier, we wouldn't have missed the train. - If we had left home earlier, we wouldn't have missed the train.
My boss wouldn’t have been angry with me if I had finished my report on time. - My boss wouldn't be angry with me if I finished the report on time.
So, Past Perfect, or “past before the past”, has the following uses:
1. A past action that occurred before another action in the past.
2. A past action that occurred before another action in the past with a specific indication of time and the word before (can be replaced by Past Simple).
3. Past action that lasted a certain time before another action in the past (with state verbs, as well as work, teach,study,live).
4. Used in indirect speech instead Past Simple And Present Perfect.
5. Used in conditional sentences of the third type.
Past Perfect tense indicators:
1. The presence of another past action.
2.Already/yet
3. Just
4. Never/ever
5.For
6. When, before
In one of our next articles we will compare the use Past Perfect and other past tenses. Stay tuned!
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Hello, hello, my dears.
There are only three tenses in the Russian language. And the past is just the past, without any additions. But in English everything is much more complicated. Have you heard about Past Perfect? Such a small and completely inconspicuous brother of the painful Present Perfect for many.
So, if this “miracle” caused you any difficulties - or maybe you have never heard of it at all - then today I will tell you everything. Past Perfect: rules and examples- topic of the lesson. We are waiting for an explanation of the rules, many, many examples, but there will be exercises. After all, practice takes a lot of time.
How is it formedPast Perfect
Construction affirmative proposals in this tense is identical to the formation in the present perfect tense with minor changes. In short, the diagram looks like this:
Subject +had + V3 + Object.
She had done her homework by 9 p. m. - She had done her homework by 9 pm.
They had already visited the place before. - They have already come to this place before.
Let's take a short break here! Because I hope you remember that V3 is the third form of the verb. TO correct verbs we just add the ending – ed, but we remember by heart and use the form from the third column!
I will not be too lazy to remind you that English grammar can be studied in a very interesting and exciting way with the help of the course « Grammar for Beginners» or online intensive « Competently, like Shakespeare» , which are offered by those who have gained well-deserved popularity online service for learning English Lingualeo.
WITH negative sentences everything is even simpler - we just add a piece not.
Subject +had not + V3 + Object.
I hadn't had breakfast before I set off to the university. -I Not had breakfast before, how go V university.
I hadn't ’ t slept until my parents came back home. - I didn’t sleep until my parents returned home.
IN interrogative sentence the structure changes to the following:
Had +subject+V3+An object?
Had you washed your hands before you started eating the dinner? -You washed hands before those, How begin have supper?
Had you done the task before you went out to meet with your friends? -You did exercise before those, How go meet with his friend?
When to usePast Perfect
That’s what, and with understanding when to use the Past Perfect, neither I nor my students have ever had any problems. After all, everything is absolutely simple. Usually this rule is studied in the 8th grade, when students already have sufficient vocabulary, and explaining the rule does not become a test for children.
The first and most important rule:
- Past Perfect used to describe a situation that has already ended BEFORE some other action occurred in the past.
The action that had already finished before another action happened.
I was on my way to work when I remembered (action in the past) that I had forgotten (preceding action) the presentation on the table. -IwasonwaysTowork, WhenIremembered, Whatforgotpresentationontable.
Theyhad already sold (preceding action) thecarwhenI called(action in the past) . - When I called, they had already sold the car.
Sometimes, instead of a specific indication of an action, there may be an indication of time.
She had finished studies by the 1st of July. -She finished classes To first July.
We had finished the event by the end of the month.- We're doneeventby the endmonths.
- Past Perfect used when stories need to describe a chain of actions relating to the past.
The policeman said that the robbers had broken the window, had stolen the picture and had run away. I was standing there and couldn’t understand what I should do. -Police officer said, What robbers smashed window, stolen picture And ran away. I stood there and couldn’t understand what I should do.
Time indicators
At any time there are indicators. To immediately recognize the Past Perfect in a sentence, look for the following words:
- Before - before; before.
- Since - since then.
- By - to.
- For - during.
- By the time - by the time.
- Just - just now.
- After - after.
- Till\Until - until then.
- Never - never.
- Already - already.
In 80% of cases, one of these words will be used in a sentence. For example:
I had already prepared my presentation by the time mother prepared the dinner. - I had already finished my presentation by the time my mother prepared dinner.
She realized that she had never been to this place before. -She Understood, What never earlier Not was V this place.
But be sure to remember one thing - past perfect- this is past tense, therefore we use it only when we talk about past events! As a rule, it most often occurs in narratives and stories.
My dears, I am sure that you will have absolutely no questions left. Now you can find thousands of videos, rules and exercises in the public domain if you need more. But I hope that I was able to close all the gaps in your knowledge regarding this topic. And it’s not the easiest, believe me! But if you still have questions, please leave a comment. I will answer each one there.
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