Past Perfect Simple

I. Forms

            Positive:        Subject + had + Past Participle + (Object) + …

Examples:

§  You had studied English before you moved to New York.

§  I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai.

§  When I arrive at the party, all the guests had left.

§  They had fallen in love and then they got married.

Negative:      Subject + had + not + Past Participle + (Object) + …

Examples:

§  You had not studied English before you moved to New York.

§  I did not have any money because my mother had not given me any money.

§  They hadn’t called me before the party started.

§  They hadn’t met each other at the party.

Question:      Had + subject + Past Participle + (Object) + …?

Examples:

§  Had you studied English before you moved to New York?

§  Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to Thailand?

§  What had you done before I called you?

§  What had she been to before he died?

II. Uses

The Past Perfect Simple is used to express:

    1. Completed action before another past time

 

The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.

      Examples:

·       Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had visited the city several times.

·       She only understood the movie because she had read the book.

·       Kristine had never been to an opera before last night.

·       We were not able to get a hotel room because we had not booked in advance.

·       A: Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in 2006?
B: Yes, I had been to the U.S. once before.

    2. Duration before something in the past (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With Non-Continuous Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past.

    Examples:

·       We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.

·       By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight years.

·       They felt bad about selling the house because they had owned it for more than forty years.

==> IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect

 

Unlike with the Present Perfect, it is possible to use specific time words or phrases with the Past Perfect. Although this is possible, it is usually not necessary.

Example:

·       She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

3. Unreality in the third conditional (The would-have-condition).

Form:      If + … Past Perfect…,… ‘d / would have … + past participle…

         Examples:

-       If Ravy had studied hard, he would have passed the exam.

-       If I had passed the exam, I would have attended the university.

*  We use the past perfect when we say what we wanted or hoped to do but didn’t.

Examples:

-       I had wanted to visit Khbal Chhay waterfall before.

-       I had left Sihanouk Ville, but it was too dark.

-       They had hoped to get married last month, but their parents persuaded them to wait or a few months after the election.

* Suitable verbs can be used: expect (to), mean (to), think (about), ……..

==> MOREOVER

If the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, the Simple Past can be used instead of the Past Perfect when "before" or "after" is used in the sentence. The words "before" and "after" actually tell you what happens first, so the Past Perfect is optional. For this reason, both sentences below are correct.

Examples:

·       She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

·       She visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

==> HOWEVER

If the Past Perfect is not referring to an action at a specific time, Past Perfect is not optional. Compare the examples below. Here Past Perfect is referring to a lack of experience rather than an action at a specific time. For this reason, Simple Past cannot be used.

Examples:

·       She never saw a bear before she moved to Alaska. Not Correct

·       She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska. Correct

==> Note:

            The more recent past time may be either expressed or understood. If the more recent action is expressed, it is usually in the simple past tense.

·       The president did not begin the news conference until the room had become quiet.

III. Past Perfect Simple Active / Passive

Receiver action + had + been + Past Participle + (by…)

Examples:

·       George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's license. Active

·       Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's license. Passive