Look at these examples to see how the past perfect is used.
He couldn't make a sandwich because he'd forgotten to buy bread.
The hotel was full, so I was glad that we'd booked in advance.
My new job wasn't exactly what I’d expected.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
Time up to a point in the past
We use the past perfect simple (had + past participle) to talk about time up to a certain point in the past.
She'd published her first poem by the time she was eight.
We'd finished all the water before we were halfway up the mountain.
Had the parcel arrived when you called yesterday?
Past perfect for the earlier of two past actions
We can use the past perfect to show the order of two past events. The past perfect shows the earlier action and the past simple shows the later action.
When the police arrived, the thief had escaped.
It doesn't matter in which order we say the two events. The following sentence has the same meaning.
The thief had escaped when the police arrived.
Note that if there's only a single event, we don't use the past perfect, even if it happened a long time ago.
The Romans spoke Latin. (NOT
The Romans had spoken Latin.)
Past perfect after before
We can also use before + past perfect to show that an action was not done or was incomplete when the past simple action happened.
They left before I'd spoken to them.
Sadly, the author died before he'd finished the series.
Adverbs
We often use the adverbs already (= 'before the specified time'), still (= as previously), just (= 'a very short time before the specified time'), ever (= 'at any time before the specified time') or never (= 'at no time before the specified time') with the past perfect.
I called his office but he'd already left.
It still hadn't rained at the beginning of May.
I went to visit her when she'd just moved to Berlin.
It was the most beautiful photo I'd ever seen.
Had you ever visited London when you moved there?
I'd never met anyone from California before I met Jim.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Dear Sir,
in grammer test 2, 3rd questions
Why the answer is not the " 'd made"? Doesn't the word 'first' indicate time?
Hello inci.yildirim,
We use past simple to show sequences of actions. The past perfect is used when one action occurs before another and the two actions are connected in some way. For example, the earlier action might cause the later one, or might change its meaning. In question 7, for instance, the past perfect is used because the fact the homework is not finished is the reason why Sara can't go for a walk. In your example, however, the two actions do not influence each other in any way; they are simply separate actions.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Respected sir,
Could you please elaborate me more time up to a certain point in the past because I dont understand.
Hi Baljeet kaur,
Sure. The idea is that the past perfect action happened before the other past time that is mentioned. For example:
The past perfect action (She'd published) happened before the other past time mentioned in the sentence (she was eight). We don't know exactly when she published the poem. We just know that it happened before she was eight - i.e., at some time up to (= before) the point that she was eight years old.
I hope that helps to understand it.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Dear teachers,
What's the difference between:
1a) Many people come to the funeral to pay their last respect.
1b) Many people have come to the funeral to pay their last respect.(this is used in the text)
2a) The festival promotes unity.
2b) The festival has promoted unity.
2c) The festival has been promoting unity.
2d) The festival is promoting unity.
[All examples in #2 seem to be talking about 'present' & 'fact' to me and I don't know which is the most native and appropriate way to describe the situation.
3a) Throughout the years, he changes.
3b) Throughout the years, he is changing.
3c) Throughout the years, he has been changing.
3d) Throughout the years, he has changed.
4) What are the 'time hint' of when to use present perfect?
5) What are the 'time hint' of when to use future perfect?
Thank you very much!
Hello boboyogo,
Could you please explain to us what you see the differences in meaning to be? We need to have a better idea of what you're struggling with, as it would take a long time to write a response to your comment as it stands right now.
There are a few grammar explanations I'd ask you to look at first (if you haven't already):
Thanks in advance!
All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
Dear Mr Kirk,
Thank you very much for your prompt reply.
I would like to know please:
1a) Many people come to the funeral to pay their last respect.
1b) Many people have come to the funeral to pay their last respect.(this is used in the text)
--Why use 'have come' instead of 'come'?
2a) The festival promotes unity.
2b) The festival has promoted unity.
2c) The festival has been promoting unity.
2d) The festival is promoting unity.
---why use 'has promoted ' and not other tenses because all seem to be valid and present for me.
3a) Throughout the years, he changes.
3b) Throughout the years, he is changing.
3c) Throughout the years, he has been changing.
3d) Throughout the years, he has changed.
---why use 'has been changing' and not other tenses? Does 'throughout' hint the use of present perfect simple/continuous as with 'since' and 'for'?
4) Do we always use present/past perfect simple/continuous if the sentence has the word 'since' and 'for' ? If yes, are there any other words that hint that it's a must to use perfect tenses rather than present and past simple/continuous?
Thank you very much!
Best regards,
Boboyogo
Hello Boboyogo,
1a (present simple) is probably a general statement. 1b (present perfect) could be a report on a specific event that's still in progress.
2a, 2b, 2c and 2d can all be valid. It depends on the context.
In 3, 'throughout the years' means from the beginning of those years to the end of those years. Since this statement seems to be about a period of time that includes the present moment and because it talks about a developing situation or person, a present perfect continuous form seems like the best choice. 3d is also possible, but seems to fit less well. 3a and 3b are also possible in very specific contexts, but more unusual.
Re: 4, the present perfect and past perfect are very commonly used with 'since' and 'for', but it's not impossible for other tenses to be used. For example, you could say 'You're losing weight since you started the diet'.
All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
Dear Sir,
I was going through an article and got stuck.
Could you please elaborate a little why the usage of past perfect (had spewed)would be wrong in this case.To my understanding that event happened first.
Please help 🙏
Thank you!
The arrival of the monsoon did something more than just get rid of the scorching heat.It showed how non- human life forms despite all the heat the universe SPEWED, continued to turn,and change and evolve.
Hello ridhi,
The past perfect would be fine here.
The past perfect would emphasise that the relevant spewing occurred before the arrival of the monsoon. The past simple does not make this clear. It could be that the spewing ended before or with the onset of the monsoon, or it could continue unbroken.
The past perfect is rarely required. It is usually an option used when the author wishes to emphasise a connection of some sort between a past event and an earlier event.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team