Past perfect tense

1. Practical English
A Lingua Advanced Interactive System
Prepared by Jan Rahimi

2. Definition
Pas perfect tense is used to talk
about an action that was completed
at an unspecific time before a
specific time or another action in
the past
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3. Structures
Affirmative:
Subject + had + (adverb) + V3 +
Negative:
Subject + had not + V3 + ROTS
Interrogative:
Had + subject + V3 + ROTS
With WH:
WH + had + subject + V3 + ROTS
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4. The common uses
1. An action that started and ended before another action in the past
She had already graduated from university by the time she got married.
2. An action that started and ended before a specific time in the past.
My brother had traveled to the U.S.A before the year 2005.
3. A state that existed up to some time in the past before another action happened
That car had belonged to me for a long time, but I finally sold it.
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5. The past perfect tense could be also used to show cause and effect in the
Effect
Cause
She was so sad yesterday because she had failed an important exam.
He was sleepless this morning because he had gone to bed late last night.
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6. Remember!
Past perfect tense is commonly used with a simple past tense clause.
Clause
Main clause
Subordinate clause
They had already watered the garden
When the rain started
They had already watered the garden when the rain started.
When the rain started, they had already watered the garden.
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7. The first action is always in the past perfect tense clause
We had already finished Step1 before we started Step2. (Correct)
We already finished Step1 before we had started step2.
(Incorrec
Before we started Step2, we had already finished Step1. (Correct)
Before we had started Step2, we already finished Step1.
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(Incorrect

8. Usually, past perfect tense comes in main clause and simple past in subordinate c
We had done the exercise when the teacher came back to class.
They had watched a movie before they went to bed.
The burglars had robbed the bank by the time the police arrived.
When I got to the airport, the plane had already left.
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9. Sometimes the past perfect tense could be in a subordinate c
After they had had lunch, they took a nap.
First action
Second action
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10. The conjunctions after and before
If the conjunctions after and before are used in a complex sentence, there could b
Simple past tense in both clauses.
They had passed the entry test before they joined the IHLP class.
They passed the entry test before they joined the IHLP class.
We drank green tea after we had eaten dinner.
We drank tea after we ate dinner.
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11. A little confusion with the conjunction (afte
Second action
First action
She turned on the TV after she had done the laundry.
After she had done the laundry, she turned on the TV.
Second action
First action
She did the laundry after she had turned on the TV.
After she had turned on the TV, she did the laundry.
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12. The use of past perfect tense in compound sentences
See the deference.
He has failed the entry test, so he is not allowed to join the IHLP class.
He had failed the entry test, so he was not allowed to join the IHLP class.
He has been very sick, yet he doesn`t want to see a doctor.
He had been very sick, yet he didn`t want to see a doctor.
He has been sent to jail, for he is a criminal.
He had been sent to jail, for he was a criminal.
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13. Keep in mind that
even if you spend your entire life
learning English, at the end, you will realize
there is still more to be learned.
Good luck and God bl
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14. Thanks
for
Attention
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