БичлэгThe past perfect tense
Past Perfect Simple Timeline
We form the past perfect simple by using the auxilliary verb had and the -ed form of the regular verb (the past participle) irregular verb forms have to be learned:
Statements | Statements | Questions | Short answer | Short answer |
I'd worked ... | I hadn't worked ... | Had I worked ...? | Yes, I had. | No, I hadn't. |
He'd worked ... | He hadn't worked ... | Had he worked ...? | Yes, he had. | No, he hadn't. |
She'd worked ... | She hadn't worked ... | Had she worked ...? | Yes, she had. | No, she hadn't. |
It had worked ... | It hadn't worked ... | Had it worked ...? | Yes, it had. | No, it hadn't. |
You'd worked ... | You hadn't worked ... | Had you worked ...? | Yes you had. | No, you hadn't. |
We'd worked ... | We hadn't worked ... | Had we worked ...? | Yes we had. | No, we hadn't. |
They'd worked ... | They hadn't worked ... | Had they worked ...? | Yes they had. | No, they hadn't. |
For example:
"I had already done the shopping by the time she came home."
"I was late for work, by the time I arrived the client had already left."
The past perfect simple can be used to show how often something happened in the past.
For example:
I'd visited the city many times before.
It can also be used to express unfulfilled wishes or dreams. Sometimes called the Third Conditional.
For example:
"If I had won the lottery I would have bought a new car." Note: If I had done something I would have done something else.
The past perfect continuous tense is used to talk about longer situations that continued up to the moment in the past we are talking about.
