Past Perfect
The Past Perfect describes an action that was completed before another action or time in the past. It is formed with had + past participle. It is often used with the Past Simple to show the sequence of two past events, and with words like before, after, when, already, and by the time.
WHEN TO USE
Use past perfect to make clear that one past action happened BEFORE another past action. Especially useful when the sequence of events is not obvious from context.
STRUCTURE
S + had + past participleBy the time I arrived, the film had already started.
S + hadn't + past participleShe hadn't visited London before she moved there.
Had + S + past participle?Had he eaten before the meeting?
SIGNAL WORDS
- before
- after
- when
- by the time
- already
- just
- never...before
EXAMPLES
By the time I arrived, the film had already started.
She had never visited London before she moved there.
He realized he had forgotten his wallet at home.
When we got to the station, the train had left.
I had studied for weeks before I took the exam.
COMMON MISTAKES
When I arrived, the party already started.
When I arrived, the party had already started.
When one past action happened before another, use past perfect (had + past participle) for the earlier event
She has gone before he arrived.
She had gone before he arrived.
Use past perfect (had gone), not present perfect (has gone), for the action before another past action
Tip
Think of past perfect as the 'past of the past'. When you're already talking about the past and you need to go back even further → use past perfect (had + past participle).