Past Perfect

Tense
Ayu Ningrum (13614012)
Maria Kristiningsih (13614006)
We use Past Perfect to talk about things that had
happened before another action in the past.
In making a Past Perfect statement we follow
the pattern:
(Subject + had + main verb in past
participle)
Examples:
She had been my friend before she
transferred to another school
In this sentence, there are two events that happened in the past
present
past
past
She was my friend
she transferred to another
school
But since we talk about events that happened before
another event, then we talk about this. This is now our Past
Perfect. Thats why we resulted to this sentence:
The word before indicates that something happened before another
Been is the past participle of the verb was.
Grandpa had lived in this house before he decided to
sell it
By the time his Mom arrived home, he had already
fallen asleep
Grandpa lived in this house He decided to sell it
In this sentence, although the event that his Mom arrived
home comes first, it is understandable that he fell asleep
first and his Mom arrived home after.
She had had a baby before she entered college
You may be wondering why there are two HADs in this
sentence. Lets try to break this sentence down again.
present
past
past
She had a baby She entered college
Had is the main verb. Its past participle is still the same.
HAD. So when we change it into past perfect it will
become She had had a baby.
( She + had + had )
Negative:
Grandpa had lived in this
house before he decided to
sell it

She had been my friend
before she transferred to
another school


had hadnt / had not
(subject + hadnt + verb in past participle)
Grandpa hadnt lived in this
house before he decided to
sell it



She hadnt been my friend
before she transferred to
another school
Question:
Grandpa had lived in this
house before he decided to
sell it



( had + subject + verb in past participle)
Had Grandpa lived in this
house before he decided to
sell it ?



She had been my friend
before she transferred to
another school
Had she been my friend
before she transferred to
another school ?
Please Note
The helping verb had remains the same with
first, second or third person , singular or plural
subjects.
Examples
I had missed him
He / she had missed him
You / we / they had missed him
Please Remember
Past Perfect Tense Is mostly used in sentences with
two clauses. It means two sentences merged into
one sentence having two past verbs, showing two
past actions, both already completed.
Examples
He had already finished his breakfast when I
went to see him.
The two clauses are most often joined with the
help of words like
when, till, before, after etc
Examples
When I had finished my job I watched TV
I agreed to stay till they had got back home
Before we had finished our exam, the teacher asked
us to collect them
After he had chosen all he wanted, he paid them,
Thank You