Past perfect

Rules

• Rule 1: had + V3 for every subject

  Use had with every subject, then the past participle (V3). Short forms: I'd, she'd, they'd …

  Pattern: any subject + had + V3

  Example: She had cleaned her room before her friends came.

  Example: They had eaten all the popcorn by the end of the movie.

• Rule 2: Two past events – which came first?

  The earlier action is past perfect; the later action is past simple. (When before / after already shows the order, the past simple is also fine: *After we ate, we went out.*)

  Pattern: later: V2 · earlier: had + V3

  Example: When I got to the station, the train had left.

  Example: When I got to the station, the train left.

• Rule 3: Negatives and questions

  Negative: hadn't + V3. Question: Had + subject + V3? Short answers: Yes, I had. / No, I hadn't.

  Pattern: subject + hadn't + V3 · Had + subject + V3?

  Example: We hadn't heard the news before the teacher told us.

  Example: Had you visited Rome before? – Yes, I had.

• Rule 4: Clue words

  Look out for by the time, before, after, already, just, never … before and because. the best … I had ever … describes experience up to that past moment. (If it's still the best today, *the best … I've ever …* is also correct in American English.)

  Pattern: By the time + past simple, … had + V3

  Example: He was hungry because he hadn't had breakfast.

  Example: It was the funniest movie I had ever seen.

Common mistakes

• When I arrived, she has already left. → When I arrived, she had already left.

  Before a past moment → had, not has.

• They had went home. → They had gone home.

  After had use the V3.

• I had ate breakfast before school. → I had eaten breakfast before school.

  eat – ate – eaten: after had use the V3.