Past Perfect

Had + Past Participle

ed

12A

had

PASt PERFECT

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PAST PERFECT

In general, we use PasT PERFECT for actions that occurred before another action in the past. As in the present perfect, the past perfect is formed with the auxiliary verb "to have" (IN PAST TENSE "had") and the past participle.

I, You, He, She, It, We, You , They HAD

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PAST PERFECT

The past perfect is used to refer to an action that happened in the past before another. In this case, the first action is conjugated in the past perfect, while the second, most recent, is in the past simple.

• I had watched the movie before I read the book.
• Raul had trained 2 years before the competition.

uses

It is used to talk about an action that occurred before a specific time in the past.

• I had fallen asleep when the clock rang at 11 PM.
• Mary had eaten when they arrived at lunch time.

PAST PERFECT

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uses

In some situations, it can be used in conditional sentences.

• If you had told me before, I would have helped you.
• If you had gone, You would have seen her.

It is used to talk about actions that started in the past and continued until a certain time also in the past.

• I had been happy in all my jobs until I got this one.
• Fred had lived with his friends until he moved with his girlfriend.

PAST PERFECT & "JUST"

"JUST" = helpful adverb

The adverb just (apenas) is very useful for sentences in the past perfect in English of the first two functions. This grammatical particle helps to underline that an action happened a short time before another happened.

• The bus had just arrived to the station when I bought my ticket.
• The cat had just jumped over the wall, before the dog could catch it.

NOTe: Place the adverb just between the auxiliary and the verb.

PAST PERFECT

AFFIRMATIVE, NEGATIVE, INTERROGATIVE FORMS

INTERROGATIVE

NEGATIVE

AFFIRMATIVE

Subject + auxiliary had + not + past tense verb + complement

• I had not said how long will the video call is.
• You had not eaten nothing better.
• Mary hadn't left when I arrived, so I could see her.

Auxiliary had + subject + verb in the past + complement + ?

• Had I gone to eat befor lunch time?
• Had she finished her homework before she went to play with her friends?

Subject + aux. had + verb in the past participle + complement

• I had met them before the meeting.
• He had been to China several times before.

past perfect

examples

• My father had visited China several times, so that's why he knows it so well (Mi papá ha visitado varias veces China, por eso la conoce tan bien).
• They had not understood the movie because they had not read the comic (Ellos no entendieron la película porque no han leído el cómic).
• Had he finished his homework before he went to play with his friends? (¿Él terminó su tarea antes de irse a jugar con sus amigos?).
• If we had gone by bicycle instead of by car, we would have arrived before closing (Si nos hubiéramos ido en bici en lugar de carro, hubiéramos llegado antes del cierre).
• If you had not studied hard, you would not have passed the exam (Si tú no hubieras estudiado tanto, no hubieras pasado el examen).

past perfect

exercises

Join the sentences with the words in brackets. Example: They graduated. They got married. (as soon as) They got married as soon as they had graduated.

They entered the restaurant. They were served. (after) I didn't use my credit card. I lost it. (because) They didn't tell me. Easyjet cancelled the flight. (that) I couldn't go out. I broke my leg. (because) He took up a job. He left school. (as soon as) Susan fell in love with Jack. She told her parents. (after)