Past perfect tense in English. Past Perfect. Past perfect tense

Past perfect - Past Perfect

Designations: + statement, ? question, - negation.

+			?			-
... had + III.			Had ... +III?			... had not + III.
I	had painted.		Had	I	painted?	I	had not painted.
You				you		You
We				we		We
They				they		They
He				he		He
She				she		She
It				it		It

Abbreviations: I had = I"d, you had = you"d, we had = we"d, they had = they"d, he had = he"d, she had = she"d, it had = X, had not = hadn't().

-ed pronounced according to the following rules:
1. [d]- after vowels and voiced consonants:
[b], [?], [v], [ð], [z], [?], , [m], [n], [?], [l], [j], [w], [ r]; except [d] (point 3)
2. [t]- after voiceless consonants:
[p], [k], [f], [θ], [s], [?], [h], ; except [t] (point 3)
3. [?d]- after sounds [d] and [t]

Note: About sounds - in the material "Sounds of the English language. Phonetic notes."

Using the Past Perfect

1. Past Perfect- an action that was completed before a certain point in the past. The period can be determined:
A. Circumstance of time.
By Wednesday she had already prepared for the journey. By Wednesday, she was already prepared for the trip.
In such sentences, the expression by + time (by which the action took place) is used.
by midnight to midnight
by six o"clock by six o'clock
by Friday by Friday
by the 20th of June by the twentieth of June
by the end of the month
by then/by that time by that time
by that moment
etc.
b. Another, later past action, expressed in Past Simple.
When I looked out of the window the rain had already started. When I looked out the window, it had already started to rain.
V. Context or situation.
He showed me the ring he had bought for her. He showed me the ring he bought for him.
2. Past Perfect is often used instead of Past Perfect Continuous to express an action that began before a certain moment in the past and was still continuing at that moment. Used with verbs that are not used in the continuous form.
When Grace came to the destination Austin had already been there for an hour. When Grace arrived at the appointed place, Austin had already been there for an hour.
In such proposals, the time period must be specified.

Note 1: Verbs that express desire, intention and hope are used in the Past Perfect to indicate that this intention, hope or desire did not come true.
He had expected you to support, but you didn't. He counted on you to help, but you didn't.

Note 2: Sometimes when Not it is necessary to focus on the duration of action, since fact is important his accomplishments, the Past Perfect is used.
When I got my first job I had lived outskirts of town. When I got my first job, I lived on the outskirts of the city.
But grammatically it is more correct to use the continuous form:
When I got my first job I was living outskirts of town.

3. Past Perfect is a future perfect action in the past in subordinate clauses of time.
She said that Michael would come back as soon as he had done all the work. She said that Michael would return as soon as he finished all the work.
4. Past Perfect is used in constructions with words hardly/scarcely (barely), as well as with the adverb no sooner (only; as soon as).
He had hardly entered the room when the phone rank. He had barely entered the room when the phone rang.
or the same thing, but with a different word order:
Hardly had he entered the room when the phone rank.
He had no sooner come home then he saw his brother. As soon as he entered the room, the phone rang.
with different word order:
No sooner had he come home then he saw his brother.

How to get out of the past and return to an earlier past? It’s not a time machine that comes to the rescue, as one might initially think, but a solution that is much simpler and at the same time interesting: Time Past Perfect Simple- Past Perfect, which is studied in grades 6-7.

General information

IN English There are three tenses: Past (past), Present (present) and Future (future). In this regard, the Russian language is in solidarity with its fellow language. But there are also differences between them - temporary forms. Depending on what kind of action we have before us - regular, long-term or completed, in each of the three times four aspects are distinguished: Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous.

Today the focus is on rules Past usage Perfect Simple - Past Perfect tense.

Past Perfect rules and examples

If it seems that the work is easy to do, then it certainly turns out to be difficult. And vice versa - complex tasks always have simple solutions. This unwritten rule also applies to the Past Perfect. It is not as complicated as it seems. The first thing to remember is that this tense is never used independently. It always “works” cohesively, side by side with another action in the past, and indicates that the action expressed by it occurred before another action or before a certain time. Let's look at two examples:

• We came to the bus stop and the bus left - We arrived at the bus stop and the bus left.
• We came to the bus stop, but the bus had left - We came to the bus stop, but the bus left.

Before using one or another temporary form, it is necessary to understand what happened first and what happened second, or whether two actions occurred simultaneously. In the first case, we managed to get on the bus we needed and use the Past Simple (Simple Past), that is, the events in this sentence happened sequentially one after another. In the second example, we were late and did not catch the bus we needed - it had already left. In other words, the action happened before we arrived, and therefore the Past Perfect form is used here.

Cases of use

There are other, less common cases of using the tense form Past Perfect:

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• To explain the reason for what happened : the action expressed by the predicate verb in the Past Perfect tense form is the “culprit” of what happened later (He was not able to buy a new book as he had lost his credit car - He could not buy a new book because he lost my credit card);
• To describe your past experiences (By the time I bought my new flat I had worked hard for several years - By the time I bought my new apartment, I worked hard for several years).

Time markers

Past Perfect time markers include the following circumstances, conjunctions and prepositions:

• By the time - by the time (By the time they came home, my mother had baked an apple pie- By the time they returned home, mine had baked an apple pie);
• After - after a certain moment (She fell asleep after I had left her - She fell asleep after I left her);
• Before - until a certain point (She had never been to London before she came here last month - She had never been to London before she came here last month);
• When - when (The train had left when he arrived at the station - The train left when it arrived at the station);
• Just - just (When she entered the room I had just heard the news - When she entered the room, I just heard the news);
• Already - already (I had already finished with my dinner when he knocked on the door - I had already prepared dinner when he knocked on the door);
• Yet - yet (She moved to another city but she had not told her parents about it yet - She moved to another city, but has not yet told her parents about it);
• For - during (He thought that he was not able to drive a car anymore because he had not driven it for 20 years - He thought that he could no longer drive a car, because he had not driven it for 20 years)
• Since - since then (Her new book was wonderful because she had worked on it since last year - Her new book was perfect because she had been working on it since last year).

The adverbs yet (yet), just (just), already (already) are common feature for two times Present Perfect(Present Perfect) and Past Perfect (Past Perfect).

Formation of the affirmative form

The temporary form Past Perfect (Past Perfect) is formed according to a certain pattern: had + Participle II(Past participle or third form of the verb). Regular verbs form Participle II (Past Participle) using the ending - ed: to use - used (use - used). If the verb belongs to the group of irregular ones, then the required form must be taken from the third column of the table regular verbs: I had opened (I opened), she had studied (she taught), we had bought (we bought).

Negation

The negative form of the Past Perfect is formed using a negative particle not (not) which is placed between the auxiliary verb had And Participle II(Past participle):

I had not opened (I did not open), she had not studied (she did not teach), we had not bought (we did not buy).

Question

IN interrogative sentence In English, word order changes. In the Past Perfect tense, the auxiliary verb comes first in the question had, followed by the subject (pronoun or noun) and the main verb, expressed Participle II (Past Participle):

Had I opened? (did I open it?), Had she studied? (did she teach?), Had we bought? (we bought it?).

In special questions, the scheme is preserved with the only difference - in the first place are question words (Who? - Who?; What? - What?; Which? - Which?; When? - When?; Where? - Where?; Where? - Where? ; Why? - Why?; How? - How much? - How much?): What had I opened? (What did I discover?), Where had she studied? (Where did she study?), When had we bought? (When did we buy?).

What have we learned?

Today we were introduced to the Past Perfect, which is one of the tense forms of the past tense in English, and denotes an action in the past that preceded another action in the past. We also learned about its features, when it is used in a sentence and with what time markers.

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Affirmative form Past Perfect is formed using the auxiliary verb to have in the past tense - had and the past participle (Participle II) of the semantic verb (i.e., the 3rd form of the main verb).

had + Participle II

I had finished my work by 6 o’clock. I finished my work by 6 o'clock.
He had written his letter when I came to him. He wrote a letter when I came to him.

Question form formed by rearranging the auxiliary verb had, which is placed before the subject.

Had you finished your work? Have you finished your work?
Had he written his letter? Did he write a letter?

Had I cooked?	Had we cooked?
Had you cooked?	Had you cooked?
Had he / she / it cooked?	Had they cooked?

Abbreviations are made according to the general rule:

I had = I'd	I had not = I hadn’t = I’d not
He had = he'd	He had not = He hadn’t = He’d not
She had = she'd	She had not = She hadn’t = She’d not
We had = we'd	We had not = We hadn’t = We’d not
You had = you'd	You had not = You hadn’t = You’d not
They had = they'd	They had not = They hadn’t = They’d not

Use

Past Perfect is used:

• 1. To express an action that has already ended before a certain point in the past. This moment in the past can be precisely indicated (year, date, hour) with the preposition of time by or can be expressed by another past action. Another action, which began later, is expressed in Simple Past/Past Indefinite.

They had written their composition by Friday. They wrote the essay by Friday.
They had finished their work when the inspectors arrived. (= by the time the inspectors arrived.) They finished their work when the inspectors arrived. (= by the time the inspectors arrived.)

Of the two actions expressed by the verbs to finish and to arrive, the one expressed by the verb to finish finished first - end, so this verb in the Past Perfect is had finished. A verb expressing an action that ended later (to arrive - arrive), is placed in Simple Past - arrived.

• 2. In complex sentences with a subordinate clause of time.

a) If the action of the main sentence ended before the action expressed by the predicate of the subordinate clause, then the verb of the main sentence will be expressed in the Past Perfect. Subordinate clauses are introduced by conjunctions before - before and when - When.

They had finished their work before their boss came in.
They finished their work before their boss entered.

b) If the action of the subordinate clause ended before the action, expressed by a predicate main clause, then the verb of the subordinate clause is expressed through Past Perfect, and the main one - Simple Past. The subordinate clause of time is introduced by the conjunctions when - When, as soon as - as soon as.

As soon as (when) they had finished their work the door opened and their boss came in.
As soon as they finished their work, the door opened and their boss entered.

• 3. In subordinate clauses of time after when, when two verbs expressed in Simple Past/Past Indefinite can create the impression of simultaneity of actions.

When he had done his homework he rang me up.
When he had done his homework, he called me.

(If you use both verbs in the Simple Past (When he did his homework he rang me up), you might get the impression that he was doing his homework and calling me at the same time.)

• 4. When describing a sequence of events in Simple Past/Past Indefinite, if the description is violated, that is, if an action that occurred earlier is indicated, then it is expressed in Past Perfect.

We decided to go skiing to the forest. In the morning we took some food, hot tea and started. We got to the forest at noon and had a good time there. We had never been in the forest in winter before, but after this trip we decided to ski there regularly.
We decided to go skiing into the forest. In the morning we took some food and hot tea and set off. We reached the forest at noon and had a good time there. Before this, we had never been in the forest in winter. But after this trip we decided to go skiing into the forest regularly.

Past Perfect (past perfect) is used to denote an action that took place before a certain point in the past.

Education Past Perfect Tense

The Past Perfect is formed using the auxiliary verb to have in the past tense form (had) and the past participle form of the semantic verb. This form The verb is also called the “third form of the verb” and is designated conventionally as V3 (verb 3). For regular verbs this is the infinitive ending –ed, for irregular verbs- third column in Table of irregular verbs.

The general formula is as follows:
had + V3

I had played.
He had played.

Interrogative form: did + subject + V3:
Had I played?
Had he played?

In a special question, the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject, and the desired interrogative pronoun is used before the auxiliary verb:

Where had I played?
Why had he played?
With whom had you played?

In a question to the subject, an interrogative pronoun who is placed before the predicate instead of the subject itself:

Who had played?

Negative form: had + not + V3:
I had not played ed.
He had not played ed.

Interrogative negative form: had + subject + not + V3 or hadn't + subject + V3:
Had I not played? = Hadn't I played?
Had he not played? = Hadn't he played?

IN colloquial speech The following abbreviations are used:
had = 'd
had not = hadn’t = ‘d not
I"d play ed.
He hadn't played.
He"d not play ed.
Hadn't we played?

Affirmative form	Negative form
I had played He (she, it) had play ed We had play ed You had play ed They had play ed	I had not play ed He (she, it) had not play ed We had not play ed You didn't play ed They had not play ed
Question form	Interrogative-negative form
Had I play ed ? Had he (she, it) play ed ? Had we play ed ? Had you play ed ? Had they play ed ?	Had I not play ed ? Had he (she, it) not play ed ? Had we not play ed ? Had you not play ed ? Had they not play ed?

Use of Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect is used:

1. To express a past action that took place before a certain point in the past. It is also called “pre-past tense”, since a past action occurred before another past action. To denote such a moment in the past, the following are used:

A) by ten o"clock by ten o'clock,by that time by that time, by the 11th of April by April 11, by April by April etc.:
My son had done the homework by 8 o"clock. The son did his homework by eight o'clock.
By June he had already come. By June he was already back.

b) another past action that took place later (in Past Simple):
He knew that they had left the city. He learned that they had left the city. (at first left, and then found out)
The rain had stopped when we reached the town. The rain stopped when we reached the city.

c) context:

While we were playing in the yard, we became hungry. It was great that I had taken some sandwiches. While we were playing football, we got hungry. Thank God I brought sandwiches with me!

When listing actions, they are used in the Past Simple, despite the fact that some actions occurred before others:
He took the newspaper, sat down on the chair and started reading. He took the newspaper, sat down on a chair and began to read.

2. B subordinate clause after the union after after and when in the after meaning:
After the rain had stopped, we went for a walk. After the rain stopped, we went for a walk.

3. In the main clause, when the subordinate clause begins with a conjunctionbefore before, before, because The action in the main happened before the action in the subordinate clause:
We had prepared supper before our mom returned. We had already prepared dinner before mom returned.

3. To express a continuous action that began in the past and continued until a certain point in the past or at the moment. The sentence must contain prepositions since with or for .

a) with verbs that are not used in the Continuous (for more details, see Verbs without Continuos forms):
He had been away for several months before his first letter came. Before the first letter arrived from him, he had already been absent for several months.

b) with some verbs instead of the Past Perfect Continuous, if the speaker wants to focus not on the duration, but on the fact of the action.
The Ivanovs had lived in Moscow for five years when I met them. The Ivanovs had already lived in Moscow for five years when I met them.(fact is important)
The Ivanovs had been living in Moscow for five years when I met them. The Ivanovs had already lived in Moscow for five years when I met them.(duration, process is important)

4. With adverbs:
hardly... when barely... how
scarcely... when barely... how
no sooner... when barely... how

In this case, the Past Simple is used in the subsequent subordinate clause:
Didn't hardly (scarcely) come, when the film

Such sentences, as a rule, have an emphatic meaning and are used with inversion.
Hardly had he come when the film started. As soon as he arrived, the film began.

Uses of Past Perfect Tense

1. An action that took place before a certain point in the past.
2. After the conjunctions after and when in the meaning after
3. In the main clause, the subordinate clause of which begins with before.
4. A continuous action that began in the past and continued until a certain point in the past or at the moment (instead of Past Perfect Continuous)
5. B complex sentence in the presence of hardly ... when, etc. adverb.