Past Perfect

What happened before another past event.

S + had + V3

An action completed before another point in the past. Shows which of two past events happened first.

Examples

  • The truck had left before I arrived.
  • She had already sent the invoice when the client called.
  • Had they signed the contract before the audit?

  • The truck had leave before I arrived.

    The truck had left before I arrived.

    had must be followed by the past participle: had left.

Common mistakes

  • had + V1 instead of V3: had leave → had left.
  • Overusing Past Perfect when the order of events is already clear from context.
Practice