The past perfect simple is one of the twelve verb tenses that exist in English. It can be a difficult tense to understand for students, so it should be approached after learning its present equivalent, the present perfect tense.

In this post we will learn the past perfect simple at level II, so the explanation is in English and the examples shown have an intermediate difficulty.

Uses of past perfect simple

We use the past perfect simple to:

1. Refer to an event or an action that happened in the past before another, more recent action also in the past.

Buffy had tried to end the date when he had to leave.
We had begun our investigation, but then a suspect confessed doing the crime.
I suspect the writers had read the book before planning the script of their new film.

2. Make wishes or express regret about something that happened in the past, hoping for a different outcome.

Man, looking back I wish I had accepted that promotion in my previous job.
If only you had not tried to steal that magic diamond, now we wouldn’t be in a mad wizard’s dungeon.
It is clear Sarah wishes she had never asked Jareth to take her baby brother away from her.

Note: This is usually done by expressing the desire with the verb ‘to wish’ or with a ‘if only’ sentence structure

Structure of the past perfect simple

Affirmative sentences

Subject + had + verb (past participle) + rest of the sentence

She had been sick by the time it happened.
Both of his parents had died by the time he was ten.
I wish I had watered the plant during those hot days!
When he left her, they had been married for nearly forty years.

Negative sentences

Subject + had not + verb (past participle) + rest of the sentence

She had not been sick by the time it happened.
His parents had not died by the time he was ten.
I wish I hadn’t watered the plant during those hot days!
When he left her, they hadn’t been married for nearly forty years.

Note: We usually use the contractions hadn’t instead of had not: these are more used in a formal register.

I hadn’t been working there for a year. = I had not been working there for a year.
Jessie hadn’t gone out when I arrived home. = Jessie had nott gone out when I arrived home.

Interrogative sentences

Had + subject + verb (past participle) + rest of the sentence

Had she been sick by the time it happened?
Had his parents died by the time he was ten?
Had I watered the plant during those hot days?
Had they been married for nearly forty years when he left her?

Past perfect simple - Level II