An in depth look at a complex tense. You can also view a video of this presentation at https://vimeo.com/194153178.

1. THE PAST PERFECT
THE TENSES SERIES IV
1

2. THE PAST PERFECT EXPRESSES AN
ACTIVITY THAT WAS COMPLETED
BEFORE ANOTHER ACTIVITY IN THE
PAST.
DEFINITION 2

3. GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF THE PAST PERFECT 3
THE GRAPHIC SHOWS THAT A PAST PERFECT ACTION TAKES PLACE BEFORE ANOTHER ACTION IN THE PAST.

4. USING THE PAST PERFECT FOR TWO SEQUENTIAL ACTIONS IN THE PAST 4
I got to work (at 8:30 AM).I ate breakfast (at 7 AM).
By the time I got to work, I had already eaten breakfast.
By 8:30, I had already eaten breakfast.
When I got to work, I had already eaten breakfast.
The main clause uses had + participle, and the time clause (when, by the time) uses the simple past.
I had already eaten breakfast when I got to work.

5. THE PAST PERFECT IS A COMPLEX
TENSE. WHEN THE SEQUENCE OF PAST
EVENTS IS CLEAR, IT IS UNNECESSARY.
THE PAST PERFECT IS A COMPLEX TENSE. 5

6. USING THE PAST TENSE FOR TWO SEQUENTIAL ACTIONS IN THE PAST 6
I got to work at (8:30 AM).I ate breakfast (at 7 AM).
I ate breakfast before I got to work.
First I ate breakfast, and then I got to work.
Both of the sentences are possible and there is no need for the past perfect tense because the sequence
of events is clear (The use of “before,” “after” or “First…and then.” However, all of these sentences are
possible using the past perfect as well.)
I got to work after I ate breakfast
I ate breakfast, then I got to work.
I ate breakfast at 7 AM. I got to work at 8:30 AM.

7. 7EXAMPLES: PAST TO PAST PERFECT
First I brushed my teeth, and then I went to bed. By the time I went to bed, I had brushed my teeth.
I read the newspaper before I went to work. When I got to work, I had already read the newspaper.
We went to the movies after we had dinner. We had already had dinner when we went to the movies.
PAST PAST PERFECT

8. AS IN MOST TENSES, THE PAST
PERFECT IS CONTROLLED BY TIME
MARKERS. WHEN YOU SEE THEM, YOU
KNOW WHICH TENSE IT IS.
THE PAST PERFECT 8

9. THE PAST PERFECT: TIME MARKERS
TIME MARKERS
▸ When
▸ By the time…
▸ By (+ time+ clause)
▸ By (+ exact time)
▸ By 6 PM
▸ By Friday
▸ By next week
▸ By March
▸ By 1999
▸ etc
9
‣ When I got home, I had already
eaten dinner. (I ate dinner before I
got home)
‣ By the time I was 18, I had learned
to drive.
‣ By Friday, I had already finished
the report.
‣ By 1995, I hadn’t learned Spanish
yet.
‣ By 6PM, I had done my homework.
EXAMPLES

10. THE PAST PERFECT: YET AND ALREADY
▸ Already means that something
happened before expected.
▸ Yet is used in questions or negative
statements to talk about things that we
expected to happen before now.
▸ Note the placement of the time
markers”Yet"and “Already.” “Already" is
a “mid-sentence adverb of time.” It can
be placed after an auxiliary and before a
conjugated verb or it can go at the end
of the sentence. “Yet,” however, can only
be used (for this meaning) at the end of
the sentence.
10
YOU SHOULD ALREADY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE USE OF "YET," AND "ALREADY" FROM OUR WORK WITH THE PRESENT PERFECT. THESE TWO
TIME MARKERS CAN ALSO BE USED WITH THE PAST PERFECT.
EXAMPLES
When I got home, I hadn't eaten dinner yet.
By the time I was 18 years old, I had already gotten my drivers
license.
By 6:30 PM, I had seen 15 clients already.

11. THE PAST PERFECT ALSO HAS A
PROGRESSIVE FORM, INDICATING AN
ONGOING ACTION IN THE REMOTE PAST
INTERRUPTED BY ANOTHER PAST
ACTION.
THE PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE 11

12. GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF THE PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE 12
I was waiting for you (for 30 minutes). You finally came.
When you finally came, I had been waiting for you for 30 minutes.
This indicates that a past tense event started and continued until another past tense event took place.

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