Past Perfect
The past perfect (had + past participle) shows that one action happened before another action or time in the past. We use it to make the order of past events clear.
How to form the past perfect
The past perfect is easy to build: use had + the past participle of the main verb. It is the same for every person, so there is no change for he, she or it. In questions we put had first, and to make it negative we use had not (hadn't).
- •I had finished my homework before dinner.
- •She had already left when I called.
- •They had not eaten all day.
- •Had you seen that film before?
When to use it: the past before the past
We use the past perfect for an action that was completed before another action or time in the past. It shows which event happened first. The more recent past action usually stays in the past simple, while the earlier one takes the past perfect.
- •When we arrived, the train had already gone.
- •By the time he woke up, the storm had passed.
- •I couldn't pay because I had lost my wallet.
- •After she had read the letter, she smiled.
Signal words and word order
Words like before, after, when, by the time, already and just often appear with the past perfect. Remember that the past perfect marks the first event, even if you mention it second in the sentence. Comparing it with the past simple helps you keep the order of events clear.
- •He had just gone out when I phoned.
- •We had already met before the party.
- •After I had locked the door, I left.
- •Before the guests arrived, she had cooked dinner.