Past Perfect Tense

1.      Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect expresses an activity that was completed before another activity or time in the past. If either before or after is used in the sentence, the past perfect is often not necessary because the time relationship is already clear. The simple past may be used.

Pattern

(+)  S + had + V3 + O

(-)   S + had + not + V3 + O

(?)  Had + S + V3 + O?

 

Examples :

·         Sandi had already left when we got there. (first: Sandi left, second: we got there)

·         My parents had not eaten by the time I got home.

·         Had my brother left before I got home?