past perfect

1. PAST PERFECT

2. PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
Affirmative
subject
Negative
subject
Questions
had
had not / hadn’t
subject
Had
Past participle
Past participle
Past participle ?

3. USES
To describe an action that was completed by a specific time in the past.
(By 2000, he had raised several million pounds for charity)
To describe a completed action that happened before another action in the past.
(U2 had performed in the 1985 Live Aid concerts before they played in the Live8 concert in
2005)
TIME EXPRESSIONS
already
after
before
by (the time)

4. PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Affirmative
subject
Negative
subject
Questions
had been
hadn’t been
subject
Had
gerund
gerund
been + gerund

5. USES
To describe the duration of a completed action in the past.
(They had been waiting for three hours)
To describe continued actions which were happening in the past before another action
took place.
(He had been working as a journalist for ten years when he won the prize)
TIME EXPRESSIONS
Used to emphasize the duration of an activity: since, for, all day long.

6. CONTRAST PAST PERFECT SIMPLE /
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Generally used with completed actions.
He had revised the new vocabulary and
he was confident about the test.
Emphasizes the duration of a past
activity.
He had been revising the new vocabulary
all day and he was beginning to feel
confident.