Past perfect tense

Sakshi Education

Structure [had + past participle]
Simple past tells about an action that completes at some time in the past.

I went to a movie yesterday.
Past continuous talks about an action that was going on at a time in the past.

She was cooking when I went there.
Past perfect talks about two actions that took place in the past. One was completed earlier and the second later.

When I entered the room the exam had started.
Two actions are there.
1. myself entering the room ( later completed)
2. Exam being started. (earlier completed)

He had completed the work before I told him.
Had you completed the work before I told you? ( question)
You had not completed the work before I told you.( negative sentence)

It also indicates an action that took place before a specific time in the past.

I had lost my bag and did not have money.
He had never been to English class before yesterday.
Had you ever been to English class before yesterday?
Students performed well in the exam, because they had studied the subject earlier.
We did not see the movie because we had not booked the tickets.
For an action that had happened at a particular time in the past.
She had visited Hyderabad in the month of June before she came to Vizag in December.
Or
She had visited Hyderabad before she cam e to vizag. ( correct)
She visited Hyderabad before she came to vizag. ( wrong)

For a possession in the past

I had a car. (I do not have now)
I had a cycle, when I was a child.
I have a car.( At present I possess)
I had a habit of eating too many chocolates. (Now I do not eat too many chocolates)

To mean completion of meals (had is used even in the present at the moment of speaking)

Have you had your breakfast?
Yes, I had.
No, I haven’t.
I had finished my lunch. / I had my lunch.

Question

Was Ram there when you came to party?
No, he had gone already.
Or
No, he had gone by the time I went there. (Ram left the place earlier)
Was Ram there when you came to party?
Yes, but he left the place soon. (Ram left the place after the speaker went there)

Practice
Fill in the blanks with simple past or past perfect tense verbs