The past perfect tense is best understood if it is called the " before" tense.When we wish to indicate that an event happened before another event in the past, we use the past perfect, it means to order the events in the past.

       usage:

 We use the past perfect to talk about something occurred before another action in the past

   -The lesson had begun when we arrived .

 Here in this sentence :two actions in the past :

  1- The begining of the lesson

  2- Our arrival

 The first action "1" is in the past perfect ,and the second action "2" is in the simple past tense. 

Important note:

The simple past can be used instead of the past perfect when before or after is used in the sentence.The words before and after actually tell you what happens first so the past perfect is optional .Look below, both sentences are correct:

 - When we got the station,the train had left.

 - The train left before we arrived .

The word before makes the order quite clear and the past perfect is unnecessary.

     Form:

We form the past perfect with had + the third form of the verb "past participle "

  - We hadn't thought about the consequences."negative"

   - Had you already met him? "question"

    Exercise:

Let's review the three tenses of the past in this exercise :

Change the infinitive in brackets to the past perfect ,simple past or past continuous:

  1-He ( forget ) my name ,so I reminded him.

  2-My teacher ( give ) me a good report last term.

  3-While we ( walking ) out ,it started to rain.

  4-The film ( start) when we arrived.

  5- When he ( get) home the children were playing in the garden .

  6-He was working there when the war ( break ) out.

  7-He already ( finish ) his study ,when he came back home from London.

 8- The fire had already destroyed much of the building when the firemen( arrive).

  

  Thank you for reading

    -Hala-

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Replies

  • Thank you all members of Ec for sharing and participating

  • This reply was deleted.
    • Dear Myth, 

      Here are the correction of your sentences :

      1> He had forgotten my name,so I reminded him.

      2> My teacher  gave had given me a good report last term.(action in the past "V2")

      3>While we were walking  had been walking out, it started to rain.

      4>The film had started when we arrived.

      5>When he had got home the children were playing in the garden.

      6>He was working there when the war  broke  had breaked out.(break-broke-broken)

      7>He had already had finished his study,when he came back home from London.

      8>The fire had already destroyed much of the building when the firemen arrived.

      Thank you for participating,Myth !Don't hesitate to ask me any questions about English grammar.

  • This reply was deleted.
    • He came back home after he finished his study in Europe.

       Thank you!

  • This reply was deleted.
    • @A shwini:

      7- He had already...

      Thank you for sharing!

  • 1 -  He HAD FORGOTTEN my name, so I REMINDED him.

    2 - My teacher GAVE me a good report last term.

    3 - While we WERE WALKING OUT, It STARTED to rain.

    4 - The film HAD STARTED when we ARRIVED.

    5 - Whe he GOT home the children WERE  PLAYING in the garden.

    6 - He WAS WORKING there when the war BROKE OUT.

    7 - He HAD already FINISHED his study, when he CAME BACK home from London.

    8 - The fire HAD already DESTROYED much of the building when the firemen ARRIVED.

    *Hi, teacher Hala in the second sentence what does it means the expression "last term"?

    • Dear Daniel ,

      Last term means : Last semester at school .

    • Thank you Daniel ! Correct answers!

  • 1- He had forgotten my name,so I reminded him.

    2- My teacher had given me a good report last term.

    3- While we were walking out, it Started to rain.

    4- The film started when we arrived.

    5- When he got home the children were playing in the garden.

    6- He was working there when the war had broken out.

    7- He had already finished his study, When he came back home from London.

    8- The fire had already destroyed much of the building when the firemen arrived.

    • @U shaikh:

      2- My teacher gave me....

      4 The film had started...

      6- ....when the war broke out.

      Thank you dear!

  • Dear Mr.Hala,

    I'm very glad to meet u, I hope to learn from you and everyone in this class.

    I'm new member in this group. So I don't clear rules of class, I don't know whether I had mised that lesson, this is my version I made it by myself, Please correct to me.

    Thanks for your useful lesson.

    1- He had forgot my name, so I reminded him

    2- My teacher gave me a good report last term.

    3- While we were walking out ,it started to rain.

    4- The film had started when we arrived.

    5- When he got home the children were playing in the garden .

    6- He was working there when the war broke out.

    7- He had already finished his study ,when he came back home from London.

    8- The fire had already destroyed much of the building when the firemen arrived.

This reply was deleted.