Usage

• Use to show one past action happened before another past action.
• Use to show cause and effect in the past.
• Use to describe a past situation or condition that is no longer true.

Time expressions

Examples

• By the time I arrived, the train had left.
• She had finished her homework before dinner.
• They had never seen the ocean until last summer.

Form

• Affirmative: Subject + had + past participle
• Negative: Subject + had + not + past participle
• Question: Had + subject + past participle?

Examples in Context

• Affirmative: He had studied English before moving to Canada.
• Negative: They had not eaten when I called.
• Question: Had you finished your work before the meeting?

Past Perfect vs. Past Simple

• Past perfect shows which action happened first.
• Past simple shows the later action.
• Often used together with time expressions like "before," "after," or "by the time."

Common Mistakes

• Using past simple instead of past perfect when sequencing past actions.
• Forgetting to use past participle after "had".
• Using "had" with a simple past verb form (e.g., had went).

Tips

• Look for time expressions that signal sequencing.
• Use past perfect for the action that happened first.
• The second action is usually in past simple.
• It is acceptable to omit the past perfect if the order is clear from context.
• Use past perfect for unreal or hypothetical situations in the past (past perfect subjunctive).

Summary

• Past perfect shows which past action happened first.
• Form: had + past participle.
• Use time clues to decide when past perfect is needed.
• Use past perfect for “earlier past” or “before another past time.”