Past Perfect Tense: What it is and How to Use it?

The Past Perfect Tense has a different structure and usage compared to the Simple Past and Past Continuous Tenses. It clearly indicates that one action happened before another action in the past. In other words, it shows a past action that was completed before another past event. Let's explore how different dictionaries define the Past Perfect Tense.

Past Perfect Tense Definition

• Cambridge Dictionary: It is described as “the form of a verb that is used to show that an action had already finished when another action happened.”

• Oxford Learner’s Dictionary: It defines it as “the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed in English with 'had' and the past participle.”

• Merriam Webster Dictionary: It states that the Past Perfect Tense is “the form of the verb that is used in referring to an action that was completed by a particular time in the past.”

• Collins Dictionary: It describes it as “a tense indicating an action as completed or a state as having ended before a specified or implied time in the past,” and also refers to it as the ‘pluperfect.’

Past Perfect Tense Structure

Understanding the structure and Past Perfect Tense formula can be surprisingly helpful. Once you grasp what it is, everything becomes easier. Here's the Past Perfect Tense formula:

Subject + had + past participle + the rest of the sentence

You can learn the structure of the Past Perfect Tense by examining how it is used in positive, negative, interrogative, and negative interrogative sentences. Here is a table with examples for each type:

Key Points to Remember while Using Past Perfect Tense

• The Past Perfect Tense has a similar structure to the Present Perfect Tense.

• Both tenses use a helping verb and the past participle of the main verb.

• The Past Perfect Tense always uses 'had' as the helping verb, regardless of whether the subject is first, second, or third person.

• For regular verbs, the past participle is usually the same as the past form.

• Irregular verbs often have different spellings for the past and past participle forms.

• Knowing the correct past participles helps you use the Past Perfect Tense accurately in writing and speech.

• If you need a thorough glance on irregular verbs, refer to the English Verbs and learn how they form their past and past participle forms.

Past Perfect Tense Uses

The Past Perfect Tense is used in the following scenarios:

• To indicate the sequence of multiple past events.

• To denote the duration up to a specific point in the past.

• To show that an action was not completed at a particular time in the past when another simple past action occurred.

Examples on Past Perfect Tense

1. Sequence of Events:

She had left before he arrived.

By the time we got to the cinema, the movie had already started.

2. Duration up to a Point in the Past:

He had lived in Paris for five years before moving to London.

They had known each other since childhood before they got married.

3. Incomplete Action at a Specific Past Time:

When I called her, she had not finished her homework yet.

They had not eaten dinner when the guests arrived.

Below chart helps to understand where and how to use Past Perfect Tense along with Past Perfect Tense rules

To know more about different tenses in Past Tense please refer to the Youtube video provided by Vedantu. And it is completely FREE.

This chart explains the structure of the Past Perfect Tense. It helps to form sentences in a better way.

Here are few Past Perfect Tense exercises to test your knowledge

1. Complete the Past Perfect Tense Sentences:

- She ___ (finish) her homework before the movie started.

- They ___ (leave) the party when we arrived.

2. Convert to Past Perfect:

- He ate dinner before he went to bed.

- The teacher gave us the results after she graded the tests.

3. Form Questions:

- you / see / the movie / before it was removed from theatres?

- she / finish / her work / by the time you called her?

4. Rewrite the Paragraph:

- Rewrite this paragraph using the Past Perfect Tense:

"John got to the train station late. The train left before he arrived. He felt very disappointed because he missed it."

5. Write your own Sentences:

- Write 3 sentences using the Past Perfect Tense to describe events in your life.

Here you go—Check if your answers match the ones below!

1. Complete the Sentences:

- She had finished her homework before the movie started.

- They had left the party when we arrived.

2. Convert to Past Perfect:

- He had eaten dinner before he went to bed.

- The teacher had given us the results after she had graded the tests.

3. Form Questions:

- Had you seen the movie before it was removed from theatres?

- Had she finished her work by the time you called her?

4. Rewrite the Paragraph:

- John got to the train station late. The train had left before he arrived. He felt very disappointed because he had missed it.

5. Write your own Sentences:

- By the time the party started, I had already decorated the entire house.

- She had finished her exam before the bell rang.

- They had travelled to three countries before they settled down.

Takeaways from Past Perfect Tense

• Students will understand the indication of one action that happened before another in the past.

• Formation of more complex sentences with clear timelines.

• How to use the tense effectively in reported speech.

• Identifying and understanding the context in which the Past Perfect Tense is used.

• Improving storytelling skills by accurately describing the order of events.