Past Perfect Tense: When and How to Use

What is the Past Perfect tense?

The Past Perfect is used to talk about actions that happened before certain events in the past. Instead of emphasizing the chronological order of events, this tense’s main focus is on showing that something occurred before an event.

It is widely used in narrative writing, describing experiences and reasons.

Let’s tap into its usage to break it down:

Past Perfect tense examples:

Before I had suffered from stress, I caught a cold.

She had already made a decision when we had a discussion.

They had just signed a contract when we entered the office.

By the end of the day, she had written the report.

When I understood that my phone was not with me, I had already gotten off the bus.

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Past Perfect tense formula

To form Past Perfect tense sentences, you need to follow a rather complex structure that includes the subject, auxiliary verb — had , the main verb in the past participle with the -ed ending if it is regular, and the 3rd column if the verb is irregular.

You can always turn to a dictionary to check the irregular verbs’ form, but memorizing them will help you communicate freely.

Look at the examples of Past Perfect tense in full and contracted forms:

Subject	Full form	Short form
I	When they called me, I had dealt with travel delays.	When they called me, I ’d dealt with travel delays.
You	You started to follow a balanced diet after you had had problems with your stomach.	You started to follow a balanced diet after you ’d had problems with your stomach.
He/She/It	By the time he took a connecting flight, he had felt dizzy.	By the time he took a connecting flight, he ’d felt dizzy.
We	Once we had found the way, we didn’t step off the path.	Once we ’d found the way, we didn’t step off the path.
They	They cut down on caffeine after they had gotten medical advice.	They cut down on caffeine after they ’d gotten medical advice.
You (plural)	You had just checked in when the flight was canceled.	You ’d just checked in when the flight was canceled.

Tip:

Be mindful of the similar forms. The contraction ‘d is used not only in the Past Perfect but also with would. Remember: if the word after ‘d goes in the past participle form or with -ed ending, it is the Past Perfect. If it is followed by the base form, it is a structure with would.

When do we use the Past Perfect?

The Past Perfect allows us to express more complex ideas than simple tenses. Using this tense, we specify what happened first and what caused certain consequences, tell about our past experiences, and speak of the longevity of particular events.

The Past Perfect tense usage instances:

Time indicators	Examples
before	Helen had gotten into trouble before she renewed her passport.
after	The author reviewed her notes after she had noticed several mistakes.
by the time	By the time we booked accommodation, they had planned our route.
just	The company had just launched the product when their profit increased.
for/since	We had known each other for 10 months before she was employed by our firm.
already	We had already gotten along well by that time.

Tip:

Sometimes the Past Perfect tense is compared to the Present Perfect, but with the difference that we use the Past Perfect to speak about things that had already happened or just happened before some event in the past.

How to use the Past Perfect tense?

We have already outlined the Past Perfect definition and the ways of forming positive sentences. Below, you will find an explanation of how to create negative and question ones.

Past Perfect questions

Speaking of questions, we will discuss two main variations: yes/no and wh-questions. The structure of the interrogative sentence is almost the same as the positive, as you will see when you look at the table with the Past Perfect example. The one thing you have to do is to swap the subject and the auxiliary verb places.

Yes/No questions

Take a look at some instances:

Question	Answer
Had you eaten in moderation before your doctor gave you that advice?	No, I hadn’t. I used to eat only junk food. Don’t repeat my mistakes.
Had you just gotten the scholarship when they banned the program?	Yes, I had. I will need to find another program.
Had she built her career by the time she graduated from university?	Yes, she had. I heard she created a business plan when she was 15.

Wh-questions

Let’s refer to examples of questions with answers:

Question	Answer
Why had your brother gone backpacking before the entrance exams?	He didn’t want to go to that university. Joe had found his way before our parents decided to send him there.
How long had you wanted to visit Paris before your dream came true?	I had dreamed about visiting Paris since childhood before I went there.
Where had they studied before they enrolled in this program?	Check their notes. They hadn’t studied anywhere before that.

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Past Perfect negative

When you know the positive structure, it isn’t difficult to build a negative one. To form it, you place the particle not after the auxiliary verb had but before the main verb with the -ed (or verbs from the third column).

The Past Perfect structure in negative sentences:

Past Perfect formula for negative sentences

Past Perfect formula for negative sentences 1

Examples:

The tourists were punished because they had not followed the rules.

My neighbor used artificial intelligence because he had not prepared for the test.

I had not worked remotely before I found this job.

In discussions or stories, you could notice that the negation is usually shortened to hadn’t (had + not). In daily conversations, it sounds more natural than the complete form.

Examples of Past Perfect with long and short negative forms:

Subject	Full form	Short form
I	I had not spoken in public before I participated in the conference.	I hadn’t spoken in public before I participated in the conference.
You	You had not learned basic phrases when you needed to ask for a destination.	You hadn’t learned basic phrases when you needed to ask for a destination.
He/She/It	He had not known about the local culture before he visited landmarks.	He hadn’t known about the local culture before he visited landmarks.
We	My sister and I had not avoided fatty food when we experienced side effects.	My sister and I hadn’t avoided fatty food when we experienced side effects.
They	They had not had any disagreements before they started working together.	They hadn’t had any disagreements before they started working together.
You (plural)	We had not suffered from climate change before we visited Greece in the summer.	We hadn’t suffered from climate change before we visited Greece in the summer.

Common mistakes with the Past Perfect in English

The Past Perfect tense may feel confusing because of the irregular verbs and their similarity to the other perfect tenses, so it is natural to make mistakes. Look at the most frequent errors to avoid them in the future.

Omitting time phrases

Unlike the Present Simple, the Past Perfect can’t be used without any time expressions and connected events — the sentences always include the timeframe when something happened. Even though the sentences below are grammatically correct, leaving a construction like this will only add a layer of uncertainty because it feels incomplete.

Incorrect	Correct
We had created content.	We had created content before we launched the website.
We had missed this opportunity.	By the time we answered the founder, we had missed this opportunity.

Tip:

Use this tense when you connect two events and highlight which one happened first — choose the Past Perfect for it.

Choosing Past Perfect form instead of Past Simple

When you learn Past Perfect, it is easy to confuse this tense with another, especially when you want to talk about something that happened in the past. The most common error is to form a sentence in the Past Perfect tense when it had to be formed in the Past Simple.

Incorrect	Correct
Samantha had negotiated her salary yesterday.	Samantha negotiated her salary yesterday.
Dilan had talked me into reading last year.	Dilan talked me into reading last year.

Tip:

To avoid this error, remember two points: first, time expressions, such as yesterday, last week, three years ago don’t typically match with the Past Perfect. Second, the Past Simple can refer to one completed action in the past, while the Past Perfect requires two events.

Using Present Perfect in place of Past Perfect

The Past Perfect meaning is indeed close to the Present Perfect. However, while we can use the Present Perfect as a one-action stand, the same can’t be applied to the Past Perfect as it is connected to past events, and without them, the sentences won’t feel natural.

Incorrect	Correct
I had never made decisions on my own.	I have never made decisions on my own.
Had you ever worked overtime?	Have you ever worked overtime?

Tip:

Use present tenses when you speak about now. Choose the Past Perfect when you mention something that had happened before a specific time.

Summary

Now, it should be clearer how to create your sequence sentences and when to use the Past Perfect tense. However, to fully grasp it, consistent practice is essential — it will help you form phrases more quickly. Keep working toward excellent speaking and writing skills with Koto English. We have exercises that will help you build a strong language foundation.

Past Perfect tense FAQ

How to form a sentence in the Past Perfect tense?

To form a sentence in the Past Perfect, place the auxiliary verb had after the subject and add the past participle form of the main verb after it.

We had already bought an apartment when we got married.

The negative form requires adding the particle not after the auxiliary verb.

We had not planned to move in before we saw that house.

To create an interrogative sentence, use inversion — swap the subject’s and the had’s places.

Had he taken vitamins before you ate sweets?

What is the difference between Past Perfect and Past Simple?

The Past Simple tense is used to describe a single event in the past or a sequence of actions in chronological order. Past Perfect helps to emphasize that one action happened before another event in the past.

Past Simple	Past Perfect
My colleague got stuck in traffic yesterday.	When my colleague got stuck in traffic, I had already gotten to work.

Can I use time expressions like by the time with the Past Perfect tense?

Yes, it is a standard tense marker used with the Past Perfect. You use this phrase to specify that something had already happened before a certain time in the past. For example:

By the time I graduated from school, I had been abroad.

By the time we arrived, they had eaten everything.

What mistakes do learners make with this tense?

It is natural to make an error when you master the Past Perfect tense because its structure and rules add a layer of complexity. Below, we outlined the most common cases to pay attention to:

Misusing the auxiliary verb:

Incorrect	Correct
I did just opened a bank account when I received a bonus.	I had just opened a bank account when I received a bonus.

Forgetting about had:

Incorrect	Correct
When we made an appointment, I sprained my ankle.	When we made an appointment, I had sprained my ankle.

Using Past Perfect for both parts:

Incorrect	Correct
Our plane had taken off before we had checked in at the airport.	Our plane had taken off before we checked in at the airport.

Choosing inappropriate time phrases:

Incorrect	Correct
Then she had finished the project.	By the time we called her, she had finished the project.

How to use the Past Perfect tense in English

What is the Past Perfect tense?

Past Perfect tense formula

When do we use the Past Perfect?