The Past Perfect

   PAST PERFECT: BASIC INFORMATION 

   1.      forms 

had + past participle

I had forgotten. 

Where had she been?

It hadn't rained for weeks. 

   2.      meaning  and use: earlier past 

The basic meaning of the past perfect is 'earlier past'. A common use is to 'go back' for a moment when we are already talking about the past, to make it clear that something had already happened at the time we are talking about. 

During our conversation, I realised that we had met before. (NOT I realised that-we met-before OR ... have met-before).

When I arrived at the party, Lucy had already gone home. (NOT ... Lucy already went home. OR … has already gone home.) 

The past perfect is common after past verbs of saying and thinking, to talk about things that had happened before the saying or thinking took place. 

I told her that I had finished. (NOT ... that I (have) finished.)

I wondered who had left the door open. 

I thought I had sent the cheque a week before.

past perfect: we are already talking about the past, and want to talk about an earlier past:

When I arrived at the party, Lucy had already gone home.

    3.      past perfect not used

The past perfect is normally only used as described above. The past perfect is not used simply to say that something happened some time ago, or to give a past reason for a present situa-tion.

Alex Cary, who worked for my father in the 1980s, is now living in Greece. (NOT Alex Gary, who had worked for my father ...) 

I left some photos to be developed. Are they ready yet? (NOT I had left some photos…)

4.    unreal events: if etc

After if, wish and would rather, the past perfect can be used to talk about past events that did not happen. 

If I had gone to university I would have studied medicine. 

I wish you had told me the truth. 

I'd rather she had asked me before borrowing the car. 

5.    how long? past perfect, not simple past.

We use a past perfect, not a simple past, to say how long something had continued up to a past moment. A simple past perfect is used with 'nonprogressive verbs' like be, have and know. 

She told me that her father had been ill since Christmas. (NOT … that her father was ill since Christmas.) 

I was sorry to sell my car. I had had it since College. (Nor ... I had it since College.) 

When they got married, they had known each other for 15 years. NOT …they knew each other for 15 years) 

With most other verbs, we use the past perfect continuous for this meaning.

PAST PERFECT: ADVANCED POINTS 

1. past perfect or simple past with after, as soon as, etc

We can use time conjunctions (e.g. after, as soon as, when, once) to two actions or events that happened one after the other. Usually the perfect is not necessary in these cases, because we are not 'going the time that we are mainly talking about, but simply moving forwart one event to the next. 

After it got dark, we came back inside. 

As soon as Jane arrived, we sat down to eat. 

Once it stopped raining, we started the game again. 

However, we can use the past perfect with after, as soon as etc to that the first action is separate, independent of the second, completed the second started. She didn't feel the same after her dog had died. As soon as he had finished his exams, he went to Paris for a month.

This use of the past perfect is especially common with when. (When has several meanings, so we often have to show the exact time relations by the verb form.) Compare: 

— When I had opened the windows, I sat down and had a cup of tea. (NOT When I opened the windows, I sat down...: the first action was quite separate from the second.) 

When I opened the window, the cat jumped out. (More natural than When I had opened the window, . .: one action caused the other.) 

— When I had written my letters, I did some gardening. (NOT 

When I wrote my letters, I did some gardening.)

When I wrote to her, she came at once. 

2. unrealised hopes and wishes; things that did not happen 

The past perfect can be used to express an unrealised hope, wish etc. Had is usually stressed in this case.

I HAD hoped we would leave tomorrow, but it won't be possible. 

He HAD intended to make a cake, but he ran out of time. 

3. past perfect with It was the first/second ... that ... 

We use a past perfect after it was the first/second... that... and similar structures. 

It was the first time that I had heard her sing. (NOT ... that I heard . . .)

It was the fifth time she had asked the same question. (NOT ... she asked . . .) 

It was only the second opera I had seen in my life. (NOT ... I saw ...)