Past Perfect Tense in English – Structure, Rules & Examples

Back to: Tenses in English Grammar with Examples

Introduction

In the previous unit, we have discussed the Past Continuous Tense in detail. We assume that you have learned the forms of verbs and their meanings in this unit and are also aware of What is Tense. if not, please click these links and learn them first.

This tense tells about the action which has happened and completed in the past. e.g. He had played GTA 5, They had ordered Mi Phone from Amazon, etc.

In Hindi/Urdu, Past Perfect Tense ends with chuka tha, chuke the, chuki thi. e.g. Wo Khana kha chuka hai.

Rule 1

In Past Perfect Tense, we use “had” with all the pronouns (He, She, It, I, We, You, They) and nouns (Name, Names) and “past participle form” (3rd form) of the verb. e.g.

Here are some more examples for you.

  1. Akshay Kumar had left India. (Akshay Kumar India chor chuka tha)
  2. He had downloaded the movie. (Wo movies download kr chuka tha)
  3. She had bought a new phone. (Wo naya phone khareed chuki thi)
  4. It had rained here. (Yaha barish ho chuki thi)
  5. Dhinchak Pooja had sung a rap. (Dhinchak Pooja rap ga chuki hai)
  6. We had created a new group on WhatsApp. (Hum WhatsApp par naya group bana chuke the)
  7. You had told lies. (Ap jhoot bol chuke the)
  8. They had played PUBG. (Wo PUBG Khel Chuke the)
  9. I had done my work. (mein apna kaam kar chuka tha)
  10. Basanti had danced before the dogs. (Basanti Kittu k sane naach chukka thi)

Rule 2

We bring had before He/She/It/I/We/You/They and Name(s) while making questions in Past Perfect Tense. e.g.

Here are some more examples for you.

  1. Had Akshay Kumar left India?
  2. Had he downloaded the movie?
  3. Had she bought a new phone?
  4. Had it rained here?
  5. Had Dhinchak Pooja sung a rap?
  6. Had we created a new group on WhatsApp?
  7. Had you told lies?
  8. Had they played PUBG?
  9. Had I done my work?
  10. Had Basanti danced before the dogs?

Recap

So, let us memorize what we have learned.

  1. In Past Perfect Tense, we use the Past Participle Form (3rd form) of Verb.
  2. We use Had with He, She, It, I, We, You, They and Name (e.g. He had ____, She had ____, It had ____, Sumaiyah had ______, I had ____, We had ____, You had _____, They had ____).
  3. While making questions, we bring Had before I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Name. (e.g. Had he____, had she ____, had they_____ etc)

Play Quiz

Play Quiz on Past Perfect Tense