Past Perfect Simple
The past perfect simple tense is used to talk about events in a past time before another time in the past. It is mainly used:
- to provide the background to a past event
- to offer a simple sequence of events
Form
We make the past perfect simple by using had and the -ed form of the verb (the past participle):
{subject} + {had} + {past participle}
We did not all pass the exam though we had studied hard.
The Queen died of a broken heart after the King had left her.
The Past Perfect is often used in conjunction with the Past Simple.
Usage
We use the Past Perfect to provide background the main event in the past.
I had worked hard for a long time before I completed the work.
She had attended many interviews before she found the right job.
I had seen the film six times already and I didn't want to see it again.
When we want to provide a simple sequence of events, we can use the past simple or the past perfect with the past simple:
The King died. The Queen died three days later.
The Queen died three days after the King had died.
See Also
Sentence Completion - an activity to practice the Past Perfect and other sentences
