The Past Perfect. Form Affirmative Interrogative

I had <past participle> Had I <past participle>?

Negative Short Answers

I hadn't <past participle> Yes, I had No, I hadn't.

The Past Perfect. Uses The Past Perfect is sometimes equivalent to the Present Perfect, to refer to the past.

Now

Tom lost his case.

He bought new clothes.

1. The first/older action ("Tom lost his case") becomes "Tom had lost his case"

2. The second/more recent action ("He bought new clothes") is a consequence of the first. Consequently, it becomes "so he bought new clothes."

More cases: He forgot his passport in his coat. Later, he searched for his passport but couldn't find it.

He couldn't find his passport because he had forgotten it in his coat.

Some thieves broke into Mrs. Taylor's flat. They left at 4 pm. Mrs Taylor arrived a few minutes later.

When Mrs Taylor arrived, the thieves had (already) left.

It is possible to use 'since' and 'for' with the Past Perfect, with the meaning already known: When I met Tim, he had been a soldier since 1997 / for 6 years. (I met Tim in 2003)

Ann had lived in a cottage for sixty years/ever since she was born, and had no wish to move to a tower block.

The old oak tree, which had stood in the churchyard for 300 years/since before the church was built, suddenly crashed to the ground.

The Past Perfect. Since and for

The past perfect is used after when we wish to emphasize that the first action was completed before the second one started: When he had shut the window we opened the door of the cage. (First, he shut the window) When she had sung her song she sat down. (She sat down when she had finished) When he had seen all the pictures he said he was ready to leave.

The Past Perfect and When

We can use After instead of when, expressing exactly the same idea. After he had shut the window we opened the door of the cage. (First, he shut the window) After she had sung her song she sat down. (She sat down when she had finished) After he had seen all the pictures he said he was ready to leave.

The Past Perfect and After

We can also use as soon as, but with a slight difference: we emphasize that the second action happened immediately after the first.

We can use Before with an unfinished action: Before we had finished our meal he ordered us back to work. (We hadn't finished to eat yet.) Before we had walked ten miles he complained of sore feet. (We hadn't walked ten miles yet).

The Past Perfect and Before

The same idea can me expressed changing the first sentence into the negative and starting the second with When: We hadn't finished our meal when he ordered us back to work. We hadn't walked ten miles when he complained of sore feet.

We'll revise the Past Perfect when we study the Reported Speech. Examples: He said, 'I've been in England for ten years' = He said that he had been in England for ten years. He said, 'When you've worked for a year you'll get a rise' = He said that when I'd worked for a year I'd get a rise. She said, 'I'll lend you the book as soon as I have read it myself' = She said she'd lend me the book as soon as she'd read it herself.

The Past Perfect in Reported Speech

Affirmative Interrogative I had been <gerund> Had I been <gerund>?

1. Form

Negative Short Answers I hadn't been <gerund> Yes, I had.

No, I hadn't.

2. Uses We mainly use the Past Perfect Continuous to emphasize the fact that the past action was not interrumpted: It was now six and he was tired because he had worked since dawn = It was now six and he was tired because he had been working since dawn.

Compare with the Spanish translation: Eran las seis y estaba cansado porque había trabajado desde el amanecer. Eran las seis y estaba cansado porque había estado / llevaba trabajando desde el amanecer.

Important: this tense cannot be used in the Passive.