ENG8 T3C2S3 Past Perfect Tense Handout (2)

Past Perfect Tense

A verb tense used to describe an action that took place before another past action.

Forming the Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense is formed by using 'had' plus the past participle of the verb.

Positive Form of Past Perfect

Structure is subject + had + past participle + the rest of the sentence.

Negative Form of Past Perfect

Structure is subject + had + not + past participle + the rest of the sentence.

Interrogative Form of Past Perfect

Structure is 'had' + subject + past participle + the rest of the sentence.

Indicating the order of events

Past perfect is used to show the sequence of two past actions, where the first action is expressed in past perfect.

Examples of Past Perfect Tense

Example: 'We had cleaned the house before the guests arrived.'

Use of 'already' and 'just' in Past Perfect

These words emphasize that the action occurred earlier than the action of the past tense.

Past Tense vs. Past Perfect Tense

Use past tense for actions without a sequence; use past perfect for actions earlier than another event.

Past Participle of 'decide'

Decided