The past perfect

A Introduction

Read the following story.

I felt really tired when I took the train to work yesterday because Sarah and I had been to a party the evening before. We hadn't gone to bed until after one. I hadn't been on the train long when I had a bit of a shock. I suddenly realized that I'd left my wallet at home. Then I began to wonder. Had I left it in the office the day before? I just couldn't remember. I wanted to go back to bed. I felt awful.

The situation is in the past (I took the train ... I felt tired ...). When we talk about things before this past time, we use the past perfect.

Sarah and I had been to a party the evening before.

I'd left my wallet at home.

We are looking back from the situation of the train journey to the earlier actions going to a party and leaving home without the wallet.

Here are some more examples of the past perfect.

It was twenty to six. Most of the shops had just closed.

I went to the box office at lunch time, but they had already sold all the tickets.

By 1960 most of Britain's old colonies had become independent.

As well as actions, we can use the past perfect to talk about states.

I felt better by the summer, but the doctor warned me not to do too much. I'd been very ill.

The news came as no surprise to me. I'd known for some time that the factory was likely to close.

B Form

The past perfect is had + a past participle.

POSITIVE

I/you/he/she/it/we/they had written OR 'd written

He had enjoyed the party, OR He'd enjoyed the party.

NEGATIVE

I/you/he/she/it/we/they had not written OR hadn't written

They hadn't gone to bed until late.

QUESTION

Had I/you/he/she/it/we/they written?

Where had he put his wallet?

For irregular past participles see appendix x.

C Present perfect and past perfect

Compare these examples.

PRESENT PERFECT (before now) PAST PERFECT (before then)

My wallet isn't here. I've left it behind. My wallet wasn't there. I'd left it behind.

The match is over. United have won. The match was over. United had won.

That man looks familiar. I've seen him before. The man looked familiar. I'd seen him before.