Sometimes when we are talking about something in the past, we need to refer to another thing that happened before then. That's when the past perfect is useful.
The past perfect is made by using: subject + "had" + past participle
Look at these two sentences:
- Loisel ate all the left over cake for breakfast.
- Manuel was looking forward to eating cake after dinner.
Both sentences are in the simple past. But we know that the first sentence happened before the second, so we can combine them using the past perfect:
- Manual was looking forward to eating cake for dinner, but Loisel had already eaten it all in the morning!
Look at these two sentences. Both of them are about something in the past, but they mean different things.
- Simple Past: Julie baked cookies when I got home.
- Past Perfect: Julie had baked cookies when I got home.
The first sentence tells that when I got home, Julie baked cookies.
The second sentence tells that when I got home, Julie had already baked cookies. If I like eating cookies and want them as soon as possible...those two sentences make a big difference!
The right time to use the past perfect is when you want to refer to something that happened earlier than something else in your narrative. If you only mention one thing that happened, then the past perfect is not the right tense to use!
| Don't use the past perfect | I had walked too far. |
| Use the past perfect | I tried to find the library, but I had walked too far. OR I couldn't find the library. I looked at my map and realised my mistake. I had walked too far. |
Notice that the two instances in the past tense can be in separate sentences, and the past perfect can still make sense. It only doesn't make sense when it is used alone.
Exercise
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