How to identify and use the past perfect tense in English

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

What is the past perfect tense?

The past perfect tense is used to talk about an action that happened before another action in the past. It’s like a “double past” because it refers to something that was completed before a certain point in the past.

Example:

• By the time she arrived, I had finished my homework.

In this sentence:

• “I had finished my homework” is the action that happened first.
• “She arrived” is the action that happened afterward.

The past perfect tense is usually formed by combining had with the past participle of a verb.

How to form the past perfect Tense

To create a sentence in the past perfect tense, you need two things:

1. The word had (this stays the same for all subjects: I, you, he, she, it, we, they).
2. The past participle of the main verb.

The structure is:

• Subject + had + past participle

Let’s look at some examples:

1. I had eaten breakfast before I left for work.

• “had eaten” is the past perfect tense.
• “before I left” shows the second action that happened later.

2. She had studied English before she moved to Canada.

• “had studied” is the past perfect tense.
• “before she moved” is the later action.

3. They had lived in that house for ten years before they sold it.

• “had lived” is the past perfect tense.
• “before they sold” is the second action.

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When to use the past perfect tense

You should use the past perfect tense when you want to show that one event happened before another event in the past. This helps to make the sequence of events clear to the reader or listener.

Common situations where the past perfect is used:

1. To show cause and effect:

• Example: She had saved enough money, so she was able to buy a car.
  • Explanation: She saved money first, then she bought a car.

2. To explain why something happened:

• Example: I had forgotten my keys, so I couldn’t get into the house.
  • Explanation: First, I forgot the keys, which caused me not to be able to enter.

3. In storytelling to set the scene:

• Example: The thief had escaped before the police arrived.
  • Explanation: The thief escaped first, and the police arrived afterward.

Important tips to remember

1. Always use “had” with the past participle: Don’t confuse the past perfect with the simple past tense (which uses just the past form of the verb without “had”).

• Past Perfect: He had written a letter before he went to bed.
• Simple Past: He wrote a letter.

2. The past perfect is about the order of events: It helps to show that one action was completed before another.

3. Not always necessary: Sometimes, if it’s clear which action happened first, you can use the simple past tense instead of the past perfect.

• Example: After I finished dinner, I went to bed.
• Here, it’s clear that the dinner was finished first, so past perfect isn’t necessary.

Practice examples

To practice, try forming your sentences using the past perfect tense. Here’s a template you can use:

• I had [past participle] before I [simple past action].
• Example: I had studied the lesson before I took the test.

Try these:

• I had cooked dinner before I went out.
• She had already left when I called her.
• They had packed their bags before they left for the airport.

Conclusion

The past perfect tense is a useful tool in English to help you talk about actions that happened before a certain point in the past. By using “had” with the past participle of a verb, you can clearly show the order in which things happened. With practice, you’ll find it becomes easier to use the past perfect tense naturally in your speech and writing.