Past Perfect

Past Perfect means ‘very old completed action.’

How do you define very old in numbers? = 2 months, 5 years, 10 years, 3 days, or 2 years…

The answer is down below.

KJ – What is the definition of Past Perfect?

Mr English – Uhhhh! Past Perfect! Completed action.

KJ – Kind of! The definition is based on its name Past Perfect. A time that is past (old, changed, or completed) and perfect (old, changed, or completed).

Old, changed, or completed + Old, changed, or completed = Very old, changed, or completed action.

KJ – CONFUSED? TAKE A LOOK BELOW TO UNDERSTAND IT CLEARLY!

Past Perfect = It is used to make it clear that one event happened before another in the past. It does not matter which event is mentioned first. The tense makes it clear that the Past Perfect happens first.

Past Perfect

Rules =

Had + verb 3rd form = I, he, she, it, we, you, they, this, that, these, those, there, here, singular noun, plural nouns, etc.

– Abbreviation of Had = “Had” short form is ” ‘d ” – I’d, He’d, She’d, We’d, They’d, It’d, or Noun’d, etc.

– Abbreviation of Would = “Would” short form is ” ‘d ” – I’d, He’d, She’d, We’d, They’d, It’d, or Noun’d, etc.

But the difference is depended on “Verb form.”

• – “Had” comes with “verb 3rd form” = I‘d invited my friends.
• – “Would” comes with “verb 1st form” = I‘d invite my friends. 

Past Perfect

Format =

• Affirmative = Subject + had + verb 3rd from + other words.
• Negative = Subject + had + not + verb 3rd from + other words.
• Simple Interro = Had + subject + verb 3rd form + other words?
• Simple Interro Negative = Had + subject + not + verb 3rd from + other words?
• Interrogative = Wh-family + had + subject + verb 3rd form + other words?
• Interrogative Negative = Wh-family + had + subject + not + verb 3rd form + other words?

Past Perfect

Definition

1. Very Old Completed Action or Event = When any action or event finished a long time ago, we call it Past Perfect.

e.g. –

• I had admitted to my school for long time ago. (Very Old Completed)
• He had cast me for this movie. (Very Old Completed)
• They had desired to be a doctor. (Very Old Completed)
• Moira had wanted to be an English teacher. (Very Old Completed)
• What had you posted there? (Ask for Very Old Completed)
• Had you really informed me? (Ask for Very Old Completed)

2. Talking about changed Action or Event = When any action or event has changed, we made a plan to do but we changed it, we use the Past Perfect. In speaking “Had” is often stressed.

e.g. –

• I had planned to go to the party but there was raining outside. (Changed Situation)
• Dora had wanted to be an English teacher when she was young. (Changed Situation)
• He had cast me for this movie but he cast someone else. (Changed Situation)
• I had booked my ticket to go on vacation but I did not go. (Changed Situation)
• Why had you not gone there? (Ask for Changed Situation)

3. Completed Action or Event before another action or event = An action or event that was completed earlier than the others. We use Past Perfect for earlier actions or events. We use “Past Simple,” “Simple Past,” “Past Continuous,” “Past Modals,” or “Any Past Verbs” for later actions or events.

e.g. –

• I had taken admission to my school before my friend took it. (The underlined sentence has been completed earlier than the bold sentence.)

or

• Before my friend took admission to my school, I had taken admission to my school. (The underlined sentence has been completed earlier than the bold sentence.)

• He cast me for this movie after he had rejected them. (The underlined sentence has been completed earlier than the bold sentence.)

or

• After he had rejected them, he cast me for this movie. (The underlined sentence has been completed earlier than the bold sentence.)

• They had desired to be a doctor before they became an engineer. (The underlined sentence has been completed earlier than the bold sentence.)

or

• Before they became an engineer, they had desired to be a doctor. (The underlined sentence has been completed earlier than the bold sentence.)

• The police arrived after they had beaten him. (The underlined sentence has been completed earlier than the bold sentence.)

or

• After they had beaten him, the police arrived. (The underlined sentence has been completed earlier than the bold sentence.)

4. Time up to then = When any action or event refers to time up to a point in the past (time up to then), we use Past Perfect. When any action or event refers to time up to the moment of speaking (time up to now), we use Present Perfect.

Past Perfect = Had + verb 3rd form.

Present Perfect = Have/Has + verb 3rd form.

e.g. –

• I had seen all movies by the time I was 18. (Time up to then – Until 18, I watched all movies.)
• When I retired, my son had got married for nearly twenty years. (Time up to then – Until my retirement, it has been nearly twenty years of my son’s marriage.)
• I had achieved my degree by 2005. (Time up to then – Until 2005, I got my degree.)

• I have seen all movies. (Time up to now)
• My son has got married for nearly twenty years. (Time up to now)
• I have achieved my degree. (Time up to now)

Learn Present Perfect Tense – Click the button.

Past Perfect Tense Exercise

Advice = Never learn any language from a different language. You should learn English in English, not from your native language (mother-tongue). Just like you learned your mother tongue in your own mother tongue. By learning in this way makes your English accurate, fluent, and you learn it quickly.

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