1) Use
❖ We use the past perfect:
- To describe an action that happened before another action in the past.
Example:
She had washed the dishes before she went out.
- To describe a complete past action that had visible results in the past.
Example:
Emily was happy because her husband had bought her a new car.
2) How to form the past perfect
We form the past perfect with 'had' + the past participle of the verb.
Had + Past participle of the verb
Example:
Steve had watched the match before he came home.
| Past participles of some verbs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | Past participle of the verb | |
| To work | Worked | |
| To watch | Watched | |
| To see | Seen | |
| To be | Been | |
3) How to form a negative sentence in the past perfect
We add 'not' after 'had' to form a negative sentence in the past perfect.
Had + not + Past participle of the verb
Example:
(+) She had washed the dishes before she went out.
(-) She had not washed the dishes before she went out.
4) How to form a question in the past perfect
We move 'had' to the beginning of the sentence to form a question in the past perfect.
Had + Subject + Past participle of the verb
Example:
(+) She had washed the dishes before she went out.
(?) Had she washed the dishes before she went out?
Yes, she had / No, she had not.