The Past Simple gives a chronological (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) order of events to a story:

  • Noah finished work in the pharmacy and got into his car to head home. After he left the parking lot of the hospital in his brand-new Tesla, Noah turned onto Main Street. Suddenly, his cell phone rang, and Noah started arguing with his wife. He became distracted and didn't notice a stop sign. Another car crashed into the side of Noah's car and pushed it onto the side of the street.

When using the Past Perfect (had + pp), the story can be told in a different order. The Past Perfect explains a finished event before another past time. When writing or speaking, we first introduce the past time:

  • Noah was in pain but managed to exit his damaged Tesla.

Now, if we want to write or talk about before the above situation, we use the Past Perfect:

  • The other car had turned on its side and hit a tree.

Unlock full access by logging in. Registered users can explore the entire lesson and more.

Exercise

keyboard_arrow_up