What are the uses of past perfect tense?
We can use the past perfect to show the order of two past events. The past perfect shows the earlier action and the past simple shows the later action. When the police arrived, the thief had escaped. It doesn't matter in which order we say the two events.
- I have finished my work.
- You have finished your work.
- He has finished his work.
- She has finished her work.
- They have finished their work.
Some examples of the past perfect tense can be seen in the following sentences: Had met: She had met him before the party. Had left: The plane had left by the time I got to the airport. Had written: I had written the email before he apologized.
- Actions which started in the past and are still continuing. ...
- Actions (single action or repeated actions) which happened at some unknown time in the past. ...
- Actions which happened in the past, but have an effect in the present.
- actions finished in the past (single or repeated) I visited Berlin last week. ...
- series of completed actions in the past. First I got up, then I had breakfast. ...
- together with the Past Progressive/Continuous – the Simple Past interrupted an action which was in progress in the past.
Verbs can appear in any one of three perfect tenses: present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect.
The present perfect is formed using the present tense of the verb "to have" and the past participle of the main verb. The past perfect tense says that an action was completed at a time before another action happened in the past.
The Past Perfect tense in English is composed of two parts: the past tense of the verb to have (had) + the past participle of the main verb. Subject. +had. +past participle. Affirmative.
The English perfect tenses (present perfect, present perfect progressive/continuous, past perfect, past perfect progressive/continuous, future perfect, & future perfect progressive/continuous) are all used to make connections in time.
- I have written articles on different topics.
- He has read various kinds of books.
- They have played football.
- She has taken coffee.
- He has gone to the library.
- We have shopped in this market.
- We have watched movies in this Cineplex.
- You have shopped in that market.
What is the meaning of past perfect tense?
The past perfect, also called the pluperfect, is a verb tense used to talk about actions that were completed before some point in the past. We were shocked to discover that someone had graffitied “Tootles was here” on our front door. We were relieved that Tootles had used washable paint.
- Present Simple. I do, I do do.
- Present Continuous. I am doing.
- Present Perfect. I have done.
- Present Perfect Continuous. I have been doing.

Introduce the Past Perfect with a timeline
Mark lines for different hours and tell students this is what happened yesterday. Write down a series of events that took place yesterday and mark them in their corresponding place in the timeline: I left the school at 6pm.
Now let's look at the three main situations in which we use the Present Perfect. We use the present perfect to describe a recent action or ask if something has happened recently. It's often used with words like just, already, yet, still.
The present perfect tense is a tense used in present to indicate the action that has taken place at some specific time. It uses auxiliary verb and past participle for the main verb i.e. verb + ed. Some examples of present perfect tense are – I have watched this movie before, He has completed his homework.
Examples of using present perfect in talking about events that happened in the recent past but the effect of the recent event is still felt in the present include: The children have made a mess in the kitchen. He has started a new job. She has finished her chores.
The Simple Past is used for actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past. It's also possible to use the simple past in a sentence without specifying a time, but it must have previously been made clear that the speaker is referring to a finished period.
Tense | Function |
---|---|
Past simple | used for events completed in the past |
Future simple | used for events to be completed in the future |
Present perfect | used to describe events that began in the past and are expected to continue, or to emphasize the relevance of past events to the present moment |
20 Examples of Simple Past Tense Sentences - EnglishTeachoo
He saved the boy from drowning. I took your pen by mistake. I bought this beautiful pen. She went to the movie with Tom.
The past perfect tense is usually formed by combining the past tense of 'had' with the past participle of the verb used. For example, 'I bake' in the present tense, becomes 'I had baked' when you use the past perfect tense.
What are the 3 perfect tense?
The 'perfect' tenses (present perfect, past perfect and future perfect) are usually used to talk about actions that are completed by the present or a particular point in the past or future.
In order to form the present perfect tense, we use the word have or has followed by the past participle of the verb. For regular verbs, the past participle is a form of the verb that ends in -ed, -d, or -t. For example, the past participle of cook is cooked and so the present perfect tense would be have/has cooked.
Not: I have received his letter four days ago. If we refer to a point in time before a specific time in the past, we use before or earlier or previously, often with the past perfect: We had got their invitation four days before.
past perfectⓘ pluperfect | |
---|---|
you | had read |
he, she, it | had read |
we | had read |
you | had read |
Answer and Explanation: "Have left" and "has left" are the past perfect forms of the verb "leave." Here are some examples of this conjugation used in a sentence: We have just left the restaurant. They have left the church.
The simple tenses (past, present, and future) are the most basic forms, but there are 12 major verb tenses in English in all.
- Simple Present Tense.
- Present Continuous Tense.
- Present Perfect Tense.
- Present Perfect Continuous Tense.
- Simple Past Tense.
- Past Continuous Tense.
- Past Perfect Tense.
- Past Perfect Continuous Tense.
Traditional English Grammar includes 12 tenses. This number is supported by many linguists of specialized web sites. Self-teaching guidebook by Tatiana Trofimenko indicates 26 tenses. Based on authoritative online sources, there are 16, 24, and even from 2 to 4 tenses.
- Jackson ate lunch early. (Simple Past: Eating lunch has started and ended in the past. ...
- Jackson has eaten lunch. (Present Perfect: Jackson started and finished eating lunch in the past, but lunch time is still going on.
The word "perfect" in this sense means "completed"; it contrasts with the "imperfect", which denotes uncompleted actions or states. In English grammar, the pluperfect (e.g. "had written") is now usually called the past perfect, since it combines past tense with perfect aspect.
Can you have 50 words in a sentence?
How Many Sentences Is 50 Words? 50 words is about 2-4 sentences. A sentence typically has 15–20 words.
The prompt: A sentence with 100 words. Begin with a simple sentence, then add details, descriptions and modifiers to create a complex, detailed sentence.
A 50-word sentence is used to get you to summarize a topic we are discussing clearly and correctly. I know a 50-word sentence is a run-on sentence and would make English teachers cringe.
The past perfect simple is used to sequence events in the past to show which event happened first. The music started when the curtains opened. Past simple + past simple: the music started at the same time as the curtains opened. The music had (already) started when the curtains opened.
Uses of the Past Perfect Progressive
This means that an action started in the past and was in progress. Then, another action that also occurred in the past began. Furthermore, the action that was in progress stopped when the following action began. The engine had been running for an hour before it stopped.
Introduce the Past Perfect with a timeline
The best way to grasp the past perfect is to understand that we're dealing with two events that took place in the past, but one before the other, not simultaneously. Draw a timeline on the board. Mark lines for different hours and tell students this is what happened yesterday.
Past Perfect Tense indicates a past action which is completed before another past action. POSITIVE FORM (+): Subject + HAD ( auxilary verb- have ) + V3 ( third form of main verb – past participle )
Use the auxiliary verb 'had' + main verb (Past participle). To form the past participle of main verbs, add 'ed' to the base form of the verb, which is the infinitive without 'to'.