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TermsEnglish (UK) · Past
Past Perfect
The past perfect is had + past participle: had gone, had seen, had finished. The form is the same for every subject (I had, she had, they had). Use it for an action that was complete before another moment in the past, when that order matters:
- by the time / by + a past time: By the time I got home, everyone had gone to bed.
- already / just with a past moment: When we arrived, the concert had already started. The past simple (the concert started) would mean that it started when we arrived.
- never ... before: He was nervous because he had never flown before.
Negatives use had not / hadn't: We hadn't eaten all day. In questions, had comes first: Had you ever tried sushi?
Examples
- When I got to the cinema, the film had already started.
- By the time we arrived, the restaurant had closed.
- She had never eaten sushi before her trip to Japan.
- I hadn't finished my work when my boss called.
- Had you ever met him before the party?
Try it yourself
When we arrived, the concert (to already start).Show answer
When we arrived, the concert had already started.
When we got to the station, the train (to already leave).Show answer
When we got to the station, the train had already left.
By the time I got home, everyone (to go) to bed.Show answer
By the time I got home, everyone had gone to bed.
When she moved to Canada, she (to never see) snow.Show answer
When she moved to Canada, she had never seen snow.
He was nervous because he (to never fly) before.Show answer
He was nervous because he had never flown before.
When I opened the fridge, I saw that someone (to eat) my cake.Show answer
When I opened the fridge, I saw that someone had eaten my cake.
When I got to the office, my boss (to just leave).Show answer
When I got to the office, my boss had just left.
By the time the police arrived, the thieves (to escape).Show answer
By the time the police arrived, the thieves had escaped.
When I woke up, the sun (to already rise).Show answer
When I woke up, the sun had already risen.
She didn't want to see the film because she (to already see) it.Show answer
She didn't want to see the film because she had already seen it.