The past perfect tense is used to show that something happened before another action in the past. It can also be used to show that something happened before a specific time in the past. How to Form The Past Perfect TenseTo form the past perfect tense you use the past tense of the verb "to have," which is had, and add it to the past participle of the main verb. For example: subject + had + past participle = past perfect tense. Some examples of the past perfect tense can be seen in the following sentences:
There are several situations where the past perfect tense can be used. It is appropriate to use in the following ways. To show that an action happened before something else in the past:
To show that an action happened before a specific time in the past:
Keep in mind that past perfect tense makes it clear that one thing happened before another in the past. The order of events does not matter since the tense makes it clear which event happened first. Another use of past perfect tense includes reported speech. Examples of this use include:
Past perfect tense can also be used to show dissatisfaction with the past. Examples of this use include:
Past perfect tense can also be used with the word "just." When combined, this makes it clear that the event was only a short time prior. Some examples of this include:
*Note that the past participle of “to go” is “gone” and not “went” so that is used to form the past perfect form as well. Examples of Past Perfect TenseThe following are more examples of past perfect tense in sentences. The past perfect tense is underlined in each sentence.
The Importance of Past Perfect TenseThe past perfect tense is used to show past actions. The past perfect tense demonstrates the past relative to timing or other past events and is often used for reporting on things that happened or were said. It is easy to form by adding had along with the past participle of any verb. What are the three uses of past perfect tense?Read about how to make the past perfect here.. A finished action before a second point in the past. ... . Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or time in the past. ... . To talk about unreal or imaginary things in the past.. How do you use past perfect tense in a sentence?The past perfect tense is formed by using the word had followed by the past participle of the verb. For regular verbs, the past participle is a form of the verb that ends in -ed or -d. For example, the past participle of watch is watched.
How do you know when to use past simple or past perfect?While both tenses tend to talk about things that happened in the past, the two clearly have differences. Past simple expresses actions that occurred in the past, while past perfect talks about something that occurred before another past event or action.
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