Lesson 23 of 36 · intermediate

Past Perfect Tense

Show which of two past actions happened first.

Forming it

Use 'had' plus the past participle. The form is the same for every subject — I, you, he, she, it, we, they all take 'had'.

I had finished my work.
She had already left.
They had eaten before we arrived.
He had never seen the sea.

When to use it

Use it for the earlier of two past actions. The later action goes in the past simple, and the earlier one in the past perfect. This is the only reason the tense exists.

The train had left when I reached the station. (first the train left, then I reached)
She had cooked dinner before the guests came.
I had switched off the phone, so I missed his call.
When we got home, someone had broken the window.

Past perfect or past simple

If the order of events is already clear from words like 'before' or 'after', the past simple is usually enough in everyday speech. Use the past perfect when the order would otherwise be confusing, or when you want to stress that one thing was already done.

I ate before I left. (order is clear)
I had eaten before I left. (same meaning, slightly more formal)
When I arrived, she left. (she left after I arrived)
When I arrived, she had left. (she was already gone)

Words that go with it

By the time, before, after, already, just, never, and until often appear with the past perfect. You will meet this same 'had + past participle' form again in reported speech and in the third conditional, so it is worth knowing well now.

By the time the doctor came, the pain had stopped.
I had just sat down when the bell rang.
She had never travelled by plane before that day.
He told me he had lost the keys. (reported speech)
If I had known, I would have helped you. (third conditional)

More examples in context

Any story about the past needs this tense to keep the order of events straight.

We had booked the tickets a month earlier.
The shop was closed because the owner had gone home.
I did not recognise her — she had cut her hair.
They had been to Goa twice before they moved there.
By 9 p.m. everyone had left the office.
He realised he had forgotten his wallet.

Common mistakes to avoid

These are the past perfect errors learners make most often.

✗ I had went home. → ✓ I had gone home.
✗ She had saw the film already. → ✓ She had seen the film already.
✗ The train had already left when I had reached. → ✓ The train had already left when I reached.
✗ I have finished my work before he came. → ✓ I had finished my work before he came.
✗ He had did his homework. → ✓ He had done his homework.

Quick practice

Put the verb into the past perfect, then check your answer.

The film ___ ___ (start) before we got there. (answer: had started)
I could not pay because I ___ ___ (forget) my purse. (answer: had forgotten)
She ___ never ___ (eat) Chinese food before that evening. (answer: had / eaten)
By the time I called, he ___ already ___ (leave). (answer: had / left)
They ___ ___ (finish) the painting by Sunday. (answer: had finished)