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We use the past perfect when we wish to stress that one action or situation in the past occurred before another action or situation in the past
It was obvious that something had happened to them. (It had happened before it became obvious)
I had been waiting for more than an hour when they arrived. (When they arrived I had already been waiting …)
The past perfect can serve the same purpose as conjunctions of time such as when, after and before:
When she (had) finished her work she left the office.
After Jimmy (had) arrived, the party became really good.
Before he retired my father (had) worked in the post office.
Notice that it is not normally necessary to use the past perfect in these situations, but it is quite common to do so, especially with the conjunction when, which has several different meanings and may need to be clarified.
By using a combination of these conjunctions and different tenses we can not only explain ourselves more precisely, but also be less repetitive.
As with most verb tenses, the past perfect has both a simple and a continuous form:
I had talked to all of the candidates by lunchtime.
I had been talking so much that I was starting to go hoarse.
While the simple form is used to stress the fact that the action was finished (i.e. there were no more candidates to talk to), the continuous form stresses the continuation of the activity (i.e. I would (probably) talk some more).
Another difference is that we tend to use the past perfect simple to speak about situations that lasted a long time, or were permanent, while the past perfect continuous is for more temporary or short-term situations or actions:
By that time the Moors had lived in southern Spain for over 700 years.
I had only been living in London for a week when I found a job.
We also use the past perfect tense with verbs like want, plan, intend, hope, etc. to speak about things that we planned to do but could not for some reason:
We had wanted to see Susie run, but got caught up in the traffic
I had planned to read the report but just didn't have time.
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We use the past perfect when we wish to stress that one action or situation in the...
FORM Past Perfect
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Examples:
I had studied a little English when I came to the U.S.
They had never met an American until they met John.
NOTE: When you are using a verb tense with more than one part such as Past Perfect (had met), adverbs often come between the first part and the second part (had never met).
USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in Past
The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.
EXAMPLES:
I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai.
Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in 1992?
Yes, I had been to the U.S. once before in 1988.
USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-continuous Verbs)
With Non-progressive Verbs and some non-progressive uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past.
EXAMPLES:
We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.
By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight years.
IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect
Unlike the Present Perfect, it is possible to use specific time words or phrases with the Past Perfect. Although this is possible, it is usually not necessary.
EXAMPLE:
She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.
If the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, the Simple Past can be used instead of the Past Perfect when before or after is used in the sentence. The words before and after actually tell you what happens first so the Past Perfect is optional. Both sentences below are correct.
EXAMPLE:
She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.
She visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.
HOWEVER
If the Past Perfect action did not happen at a specific time, Past Perfect MUST be used at all times. Compare the two sentences below.
EXAMPLE:
She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska. Correct
She never saw a bear before she moved to Alaska. Not Correct
ACTIVE / PASSIVE FORMS Past Perfect
EXAMPLES
George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanics license. ACTIVE
Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanics license. PASSIVE