Past Perfect Simple
Subject + had + V(ed)
Past Perfect Simple Timeline
Affirmative form:
They had finished watching the film by the time you came.
Negative form:
They hadn’t finished watching the film by the time you came.
Question form:
Had they finished watching the film by the time you came?
The past perfect simple tense is used to go further back in time when we are already talking about the past. It can make it clear that something had already happened at the time we are talking about.
e.g. Shortly after the family had gone to bed they heard a fearful crash in the hall.
We form the past perfect simple by using the auxilliary verb had and the -ed form of the regular verb (the past participle) irregular verb forms have to be learned:
For example: "I had already done the shopping by the time she came home." -"I was late for work, by the time I arrived the client had already left."
The past perfect simple can be used to show how often something happened in the past.
For example: I'd visited the city many times before.
It can also be used to express unfulfilled wishes or dreams. Sometimes called the Third Conditional.
For example: "If I had won the lottery I would have bought a new car."
Note: If I had done something I would have done something else.
Past Perfect Continuous
Subject + had been + V ing
Past Perfect Continuous Timeline
Affirmative form:
John had been working there for a long time.
Negative form:
John hadn’t been working there for a long time.
Question form:
Had John been working there for a long time.
The past perfect continuous tense is used to talk about longer situations that continued up to the moment in the past we are talking about.
For example: "By the time I left England we had been living in Bristol for five years."
"Her back was sore because she had been sitting at the computer all day."
It is also used to say how long something went on for, up to a time in the past.
For example: We apologised because we had kept them waiting for 3 hours.
We apologized because we had kept them waiting since lunchtime.
Appendix Time expressions
SIMPLE PRESENT |
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE |
SIMPLE PAST |
PRESENT PERFECT |
PRESENT PERF. PROGRESSIVE |
*write *writes
|
*am, are, is writing |
*wrote |
*have/has written |
*have/has been writing
|
every day Monday week month etc.
on Mondays weekends etc.
always usually often generally sometimes occasionally once in a while rarely seldom hardly ever never |
now at this moment for the moment currently at the present temporarily
this week semester month etc.
today
|
yesterday
last night week month etc.
the last time the first time
ago a day two weeks etc.
earlier today this week etc.
|
times many a couple of several
since* last yesterday 1983 *If since introduces a time clause, the verb in the time clause will be simple past.
in the last/past
week, month, year, etc.
up to now so far lately recently
already (quests/affirm) in a long time (neg) yet (neg)
how long (quests.) ever (quests.) |
all long day morning week
since 3 o’clock yesterday etc.
for the last/past
two days three hours, etc.
for ten days two hours, etc.
how long (quests)
|
PAST PROGRESSIVE *was/were + -ing
Used with when to express past activity in progress, interrupted by a non-continuous activity: I was writing when you called.
Used with while to express two continuous activities occurring
at the same time in past: I was reading while you were writing.
PAST PERFECT *had + past participle
Used with by the time to express two activities in the past, one occurring before the other. First activity: past perfect/second activity: simple past. Can also be used with when.
By the time / When we arrived, he had already left.