Past Perfect

Basic form

Subject + HAD + Verb (past participle form)

Quick examples

• I had written the letter before you came home.
• If she had studied hard, she would have passed the English language exam.
• I wish I had been brave enough.
• Mary looked as if she had not slept for 48 hours.

We use the Past Perfect tense to emphasize that an action in the past finished before another action in the past started. This tense is also used in reported speech, third conditional sentences, or to show dissatisfaction with the past.

Use

1. Completed action before another action in the past
2. Third conditional sentences
3. Reported speech
4. Dissatisfaction with the past

Use 1: A completed action before another action in the past

The first use of this tense is to emphasize that one action in the past happened before another action in the past.

• I had finished my homework before I went playing football.
• John had never been to London before we went there last year.

Good to know

People (especially native speakers) do not use the Past Perfect in above sentences very often. For example, they will say:

• After I washed my car, I went to fill up.

Rather than:

• After I had washed my car, I went to fill up.

This is because "after" and "before" tell the listener which action happened first. Still, keep in mind that it is better to use the Past Perfect, especially in written English or when writing exams.