What is the past perfect?

The past perfect describes an action that happened before another past action. It's the "past of the past".

Before another event

When I arrived, the film had already started.

Reason for past situation

She was tired because she had worked all night.

Narrative sequence

He had never seen snow before he moved to Sweden.

Form: had + past participle

subject + had + past participle → She had finished.

All subjects

I / you / he / she / we / they — all use had (same)

Contraction

I'd finished · She'd left

Negative

hadn't + past participle

Question

Had + subject + past participle?

The two-event timeline

Past perfect = earlier action · Past simple = later action

When I arrived (past simple), the meeting had already started (past perfect).

Earlier (PP)

She had studied for weeks.

Later (PS)

She passed the exam easily.

Combined

She passed easily because she had studied for weeks.

already, just, never, before, by the time, when — all common signal words for past perfect.

Past perfect vs past simple

Past perfect (earlier)

When she arrived, he had left.

he left → she arrived

I was hungry because I hadn't eaten.

Past simple (same time)

She arrived and he left.

both at same moment

She arrived and then he left.

Common mistakes

I couldn't get in because I lost my key.

→

I couldn't get in because I had lost my key.

losing the key happened first → past perfect

I had seen him yesterday.

→

I saw him yesterday.

no earlier past event → just past simple

She has eaten before we arrived.

→

She had eaten before we arrived.

two past events → had (not has)

By the time we got there, the shop closed.

→

By the time we got there, the shop had closed.

by the time → the earlier event takes had + PP

Your turn

Answer out loud — full sentences

Tell short stories with the past perfect.

Had you ever been on a plane before you were ten?

Tell me about a time you arrived somewhere and something had already happened.

Why were you tired / happy / angry yesterday? Because I had…

Finish: When I got home, I realised I had…

Recap

Form

had + past participle

She had finished. They had left.

Use

earlier past action before another past

When I arrived, she had left.

Signals

already · just · never · before · when

had already started

vs past simple

PP = earlier · PS = later

she had studied → she passed

Practice now →

Past Perfect