Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense is a verb tense used to show an action that was completed in the past, before another action started.

• I had gone to school, before it rained.
• He had eaten Apples, when I reached.
• They had reached stadium, before the match started.

We use the past perfect tense to

State information that is given/reported by someone else                  

• Ali told me that he had visited London before.
• He said that he had taken medicine.
• They informed that it had rained in the morning.

Express Conditional Statements

• If I had worked harder, I have passed the exams.
• We could have avoided rush if we had started earlier.
• You had reached the train if you ran. 

How to Form Past Perfect Tense

Subject + had + third form of verb + rest of sentence.

“Had" is used with both singular and plural subjects.

• I had played football before it rained.
• He had chosen the wrong subject before I suggested.
• You had built the house before you left the city. 

Negative Form of Past Perfect Tense

Subject + had not + third form of verb + rest of sentence.

• I had not played football before it rained.
• He had not chosen the subject before I suggested.
• You had not built the house before you left the city. 

Interrogative Form of Past Perfect Tense

Had + Subject + third form of verb + rest of sentence

• Had I played football before it rained?
• Had he chosen the subject before I suggested?
• Had you built the house before you left the city? 

How to do Contractions in the Past Perfect tense

We can contract the subject and auxiliary verb as follow

• I had               I’d
• You had         you’d
• They had       they’d
• We had          we’d
• He had           he’d
• She had         she’d
• It had              it’d

In negative sentences, contract the auxiliary verb and "not" as follows

• Had not          hadn’t

Wh-Questions in the Past Perfect Tense

Wh-words + had + Subject + third form of verb + rest of sentence

• What had you said that he left the team?
• Why had he hit hard that she injured?
• How much had you eaten that you got ill? 

Examples of Past Perfect Tense

• I had lived in London before.
• I had not lived in London before.
• Had I lived in London before?

 

• They have played football before it rained.
• They had not played football before it rained.
• Had they played football before it rained?

 

• He had run one mile before the race started.
• He had not run one mile before the race started.
• Had he run one mile before the race started?

 

• She had gone to London.
• She hadn’t ever gone to London.
• Had she ever gone to London?