Definition: The past perfect tense is for talking about something that happened before something else.

Examples

They couldn’t fry the chicken because they had forgotten to buy the frying pan.

The stadium was full, so I was happy that we had reserved our tickets.

Spain was not exactly what I had expected to see.

How to make statements in the past perfect tense

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How can we use the past perfect tense?

1. We use the tense to show the order when two actions happened. It can be mixed with the past simple.

     This explains the sequence in which the actions happened.

Examples

• When the dog ran outside, the automatic gate had closed.
• We had locked the door when we left the house.
• The robbers had escaped, when the police were informed.

2. We use the tense to talk about something that happened at a certain point in the past. 

This explains the exact time when one action happened before another in the past.

Examples 

• By the time he was 10, he had learned how to ride his blue bike. 
• We had finished all the cooking before the party started. 
• Had the lessons begun when you arrived at the campus?

Rule

If there’s only a single event, we don’t use the past perfect, even if it happened a long time ago.

3. We use the tense with before

This is used to show that an action was complete or it was ongoing when the second past simple action happened. 

Examples 

• We were in a hurry. We had left the school before he’d spoken to us.
• Sadly, my grandmother died before she had built her house.

Adverbs that can be used with the past perfect tense

1. Already: this is used before a specified time

• When we called the bank, they had already closed

2. Still: this is used to indicate which action was previously done. 

• It still hadn’t rained this end of March as usual.

3. Just: It connects to a very short time before the specified time.

• We traveled to Madrid to see our nephew who had just moved there. 

4. Ever: it relates to any time before the specified time. 

• She is the prettiest lady I had ever seen.
• Had you gone to the museum when you relocated to Melaka?

5. Never: this refers to no time before the specified time

• Did you see the monkey?  I had never seen one before I went to the zoo.

Exercises

Complete the sentences using the past perfect tense formula

1. By the time Elizebeth …….(come) home, we were already sleeping.
2.  Last year, I ………(pass) my promotion exams.
3. When I got to the bus station, I discovered I ……….(forgot) my bus card in the blue wallet. 
4. When I went to the shopping mall last month, I …….(buy) some new pairs of jeans.
5. I checked my purse and found out I ………….(forget) my keys on the table.
6. The subway ………….(leave) when we arrived at the station.
7. When we reached at the bank, we found out thieves ……….(break)into the save room. 
8. She opened the closet and found out that her new pairs of shoes were missing. They ………..(steal) by the guest.
9. Before he proposed to her at the party, he …………(know) her for 6 months. 
10. Peter ………….(awake) before the alarm rang. 
11. Firstly, I …..(pour) the milk into the mug before I added the hot water.
12.  We ………..(go) to the market when they called us. 
13. I asked Pauline if she wanted to go for a walk, but she ……….(not/finish) her homework. 
14. We had the Spanish test last evening. It wasn’t as hard as I …………..(expect) it will be. 
15.  When I looked at the photos, I realized, I …….(see) that lady somewhere before. 
16. Last week I was planning to talk to him. Before I could find time to do it, he…..…….(quit) his job.  
17. We checked at the post office this morning, and the letter still ………(not/arrive).
18. Before we opened the door of the Museum, I noticed that Julie ………… (go) inside already.
19. At the time they ………(enroll) for the degree, they had never studied abroad. 
20.  When I boarded the plane, I ………(forget) to pay for my luggage.
21. She looked really unhappy, I was unsure what ……………(happen).
22.  By the time we transferred into the new apartment,  they ……….(not/finish) building it. 
23.  Was  Jolly in the house when the doorbell ………(ring)?.
24. We couldn’t go into the concert hall because we ……..(not/bring) the tickets. 
25.  The water was cut because we …….(not/pay) the water bill for last month.

Make your own sentences with the following verbs using the past perfect tense

For more revision on the past progressive tense and past simple tense, go to https://www.psalmsofsarah.com/category/english-language-lessons/