The past perfect tenses
The past perfect simple
Definition
The past perfect simple tense is to look back from the past to the further past and to present an action as a whole.
Example:
- When I came home, I saw that I had left the door open.
- The guests had already left when I arrived.
Formation
In affirmative statements:
HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE
Examples:
- I had worked.
- She had left the building.
In negative statements:
HAD NOT + PAST PARTICIPLE
Examples:
- You hadn't worked.
- He had not left the building.
In questions and answers:
HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE
HAD is repeated in short answers.
Examples:
- Had you worked a lot on that project? Yes, I had.
- What had you done on that project up to that time? Not much, I'm afraid.
Exercises on the past perfect simple
The past perfect continuous
Definition
The past perfect continuous tense is to look back from the past to the further past and to say that an action had been going on before a past point.
Formation
In affirmative statements:
HAD BEEN + ING-FORM
Examples:
- I had been working.
- She had been trying since 7 o'clock.
In negative statements:
HAD NOT BEEN + ING-FORM
Examples:
- You hadn't been working.
- He had not been trying his best.
In questions and answers:
HAD BEEN + ING-FORM
HAD is repeated in short answers.
Examples:
- Had you been working on that project? Yes, I had.