www.mawazinepress.com The Past Perfect
I had eaten my I had eaten my breakfast before I breakfast before I
went to schoolwent to school..
I had eatenhad eaten breakfast
before
I went to school .
How do we use the Past Perfect Tense? The past perfectThe past perfect tense expresses action in the
pastpast before another action in the pastpast. This is the past in the pastpast in the past.
EXAMPLE :EXAMPLE : The train left at 9am. We arrived at 9.15am. When
we arrived, the train had left.
The Past PerfectThe Past Perfect
The Titanic had received many warnings before it hit the iceberg.
I had already eaten when my friend stopped by to visit.
had received
had eaten
it hit
my friend stopped by
To talk about a past action that ended before another
action or time in the past, we use before and after. We
use the simple past too.
The film had started before we arrivedThe film had started before we arrived
We also use the past perfect to show the cause of a past
action
I was tired on Monday because I hadn’t slept well the night I was tired on Monday because I hadn’t slept well the night
beforebefore
With time expressions such as when, after, before, as when, after, before, as
soon as, by the time, by soon as, by the time, by and untiluntil
By the time I got home, my mother had already prepared By the time I got home, my mother had already prepared
dinnerdinner
Simple Past Tense
Past Perfect TensePast Perfect Tense
He came to my house.He came to my house.
Chapter 11
I had already left.I had already left.
He came to my house He came to my house afterafter
I I had had already already leftleft..
Simple Past Tense
Past PerfectPast Perfect
Chapter 11
He came to my house He came to my house
afterafter I had already left. I had already left.This action
This action
takes place
takes place
farther back
farther back
in the past
in the past..
Simple Past Tense
Past PerfectPast Perfect
He came to my house.He came to my house.
Chapter 11
I had already left.I had already left.
He came to my house He came to my house afterafter I had already left. I had already left.
Look at this example.
..
After he had taken his music lesson, he made a he made a telephone calltelephone call
What had Ali done before he went
fishing?
Ali had repaired his car before he before he went fishing.went fishing.
The key words of this tense are:after
as soon as , Past simple{had+PP}
The key words of this tense are:before
By the time{past simple}+ Had+PP
Make similar sentences using after and before.
Finish work-watch TV
After I had finished work , I watched TV
Before I watched TV , I had finished my work.
Make similar sentences using by the time and as soon as
Eat breakfast-go to school
By the time I went to school,I had eaten my breakfast. As soon as I had eaten my breakfast, I went to school
Make similar sentences using by the time and as soon as
Police arrive-thief escape
By the time the police arrived, the thief had escaped.As soon as the thief had escaped , the police arrived.
So it is correct to say:After he had finished After he had finished
the meeting , he made the meeting , he made a telephone call.a telephone call.
Before he made a telephone call , he had finished the meeting.
The structure of the past perfect tense is:
subjecsubjec
ttauxiliary auxiliary verbverb
main main verbverb
++IIhadhad finishedfinishedmy workmy work..
++YouYouhadhad stoppedstoppedbefore before meme..
--SheShehadhadnotnotgonegoneto schoolto school..
--WeWehadhadnotnotleftleft..
??HadHadyouyou arrivedarrived??
??HadHadtheythey eateneatendinnerdinner??