The past perfect tense in English. Past Perfect - past perfect tense

Past Perfect is one of the forms of the past tense, denoting an event that happened at a certain moment before another action began.

The very existence of this grammatical phenomenon is a vivid example of how ordered the English language is, how important the sequence of completed events is within its species-temporal paradigm. As shown in the diagram below, an action expressed in this tense occurs before some other action in the past.

Also, instead of action 2, there can be some point in time in the past, before the start of which some event occurred, as shown in the following example:

Ways to form Past Perfect

Affirmative type sentences

In order to get a statement in the Past Perfect, you need the verb had and the 3rd form of the main verb (V3). The ending - ed is added to the correct verb, and if the verb is incorrect, its form is taken from the 3rd column (Participle II).

Below is a table with an example where you can observe the construction of this form of the past tense.

Structure	Subject (Who what?)	HAD	V3 (V+ed/Participle II)
Scheme	☺	had	V3
Example	Mom	had	painted	the wall by 5 o'clock.
Translation	Mum		dyed	wall by 5 o'clock.

It is worth noting that there are often abbreviations. In statements, had is combined with an apostrophe (‘)

She had = She'd

I had = I'd

We had = We'd

Below are examples of the use of verbs in the Past Perfect, both in full and in abbreviated form.

Full form	Short form	Translation
I had read.	I'd read.	I read.
He had smoked.	He'd smoked.	He smoked.
She had written.	She'd written.	She wrote.
It had flown.	It'd flown.	It flew away.
We had broken.	We'd be broken	We broke.
You had rung.	You'd drunk.	You called.
They had invented.	They'd come.	They invented.

Negative sentence type

Negative type sentences are formed by adding not between had and the semantic verb. In this case, the words are arranged in the same order as in the affirmative.

Structure	Subject (Who what?)	HAD	V3 (V+ed/Participle II)
Scheme	☺	had not	V3
Example	Mom	had not	painted	the wall by 5 o'clock.
Translation	Mum	not	dyed	wall by 5 o'clock.

Abbreviated forms in speech are used much more often than full ones. To shorten it, combine the auxiliary verb had with the particle not using an apostrophe ('), as shown below:

I had = I hadn't

You had = You hadn't

She had = She hadn't

Below are examples of the use of verbs in the Past Perfect in both full and abbreviated form of negative types of sentences.

Full form	Short form	Translation
I had not put.	I hadn't put.	I didn't put it.
He had not blown.	He hadn't blown.	He didn't pout.
She had not learned.	She hadn't learned.	She didn't learn.
It had not flown.	It hadn't flown.	It didn't fly away.
We had not broken.	We hadn't broken.	We didn't break.
You weren't drunk.	You hadn't drunk.	You didn't drink.
They had not invented.	They hadn't invented.	They didn't invent.

Interrogative sentences

In interrogative sentences, the word order is reversed. As can be seen in the table below, the auxiliary verb had should come first, then the subject, and then the semantic verb V3:

Structure	HAD	Subject (Who what?)	V3 (V+ed/Participle II)
Scheme	Had	☺	V3	?
Example	Had	Mom	painted	the wall by 5 o'clock?
Translation	Did you paint	Mum		wall by 5 o'clock.

The following table shows examples of using the Past Perfect in interrogative sentences. You can also observe that the word order is reversed everywhere:

Using the Past Perfect

1. Most often Past Perfect means an event in the past that happened before some other action. This subsequent action is often in the Simple Past.

We drove up to the opera house, but the performance had finished. We arrived at the opera house, but the performance had already ended. (first the performance ended, then we arrived at the opera house).

2. Past Perfect denotes an event, which happened in the past at the designated time. In this case, the very moment by which the action is completed will be indicated. In the following example, this moment is denoted by by:

Matt had finished repairing the car by 9 o'clock. Matt finished repairing the car by 9 o'clock. (repair was completed by the time the clock read 9)

3. Sometimes Past Perfect indicates that an event expressed in this time is the cause of another, subsequent action or state.

She was happy. She had received lots of gifts. - She was happy. She received many gifts.

She didn't invite him for dinner as she had burnt the chicken in the oven. She didn't invite him to dinner because she burned the chicken in the oven.

4. Using Past Perfect denotes a continuous action that began earlier and lasted until some time. In this case, the prepositions since and for are most often used, which are translated as “since” and “during”, respectively.

He deceased last Monday. We had remembered him since he was a toddler. He passed away last Monday. We have remembered him since he was a one year old baby.

She was a talented violinist. We had loved her playing for 10 years. She was a talented violinist. We enjoyed her game for 10 years.

It should be noted that the Past Perfect in this case is used only with those that express emotions, perception. For example, love, know, adore, think, feel, regret, etc. With dynamic verbs, Past Perfect Continuous is necessary to express duration.

Ben retired on July, 2. This dude had been coaching us for 10 years. Ben retired on the second of July. This guy has been our coach for 10 years.

5. In conditional sentences of the third type Past Perfect used to express regret for something that didn't happen. Something in the past could have been done if the condition had been met, but at the present moment it is no longer possible to influence the situation.

If I had met Harry, I would have given a hug to him. If I met Harry, I would hug him.

If she had ironed her dress, her parents would have given her some more funds. If she had ironed her dress, her parents would have given her more money.

6. In sentences where words such as hardly ... when and no sooner ... than are used, Past Perfect denotes a sequence of events. The use of this tense emphasizes that one action happened immediately after another. Similar constructions are translated using the expressions “did not have time ...”, “as soon as ...”, “barely ...”. In sentences of this type, the opposite is true.

Hardly had Jens gone out, when somebody threw a stone to his head. As soon as Jens left, someone threw a stone at his head.

No sooner had Tony sunk into the sea water than the funny dolphin was seen nearby. - No sooner had Tony dive into the sea water than a funny dolphin appeared nearby.

The use of circumstances of time

Past Perfect is used with the following time markers:

by(to some time/moment)
Kate had smoked 10 cigarettes by the moment they came (Kate had smoked 10 cigarettes by the time they arrived);
after(after)
After he had lost 10 pounds, he changed the size of his clothes (After he lost 10 pounds, he changed the size of his clothes);
before(before / before)
Before I came home, I had delayed at college to help the tutor
when(when)
Molly had crossed the brook when the dog looked at her (Molly crossed the stream when the dog looked at her);
earlier(before)
I didn't know where my boyfriend was as he had snaffled my money earlier
just(just now)
It was 7 p.m. and she had just taken the shower (It was 7 pm and she had just taken a shower);
already(already)
They were going for that city as she had already got a new job (They moved to that city because she had already found a new job);
yet(still, already)
They arranged the party but they hadn't brought the drinks yet (They organized a party, but they hadn't brought the drinks yet).

Markers such as yet, already and just also use . It must be understood that when using the Past Perfect, the speaker refers to the past, and the Present Perfect denotes an event that happened in the past, but its consequences affect the present.

I have written 7 poems already. I have already written 7 poems. (I already have 7 poems written)

By the moment I lost my vision, I had written 7 poems already. - By the time I lost my sight, I had already written 7 poems. (I already wrote 7 poems, and then I lost my sight).

Cases of replacing Past Perfect with Past Simple

At the moment, there is a tendency to replace Past Perfect with Past Simple, if the sequence of actions is obvious from the context. Most often this happens in . These sentences use different time markers.

after (after)

After she had washed the walls in the bathroom, she peeled the vegetables for a salad. = After she washed the walls in the bathroom, she peeled the vegetables for a salad.
After she scrubbed the walls in the bathroom, she cleaned the vegetables for the salad.

before (before / before)

I had visited my cousin once before I left for Hungary. = I visited my cousin once before I left for Hungary.
I visited my cousin once before I left for Hungary.

earlier (earlier),

I helped my neighbors though I was incensed by them as they had crashed my motorbike earlier. = I helped my neighbors though I was incensed by them as they crashed my motorbike earlier.
I helped mine neighbors, although was very angry on the them, because what they smashed my moped.

But: If the union when (when) is used in the sentence, the replacement of time is not possible, since the meaning will change.

When we hauled our bags to the hotel, Mary had checked in. When we brought the bags to the hotel, Mary had already checked in.
(Past Perfect means Mary checked in before we dragged our bags to the hotel)

When we hauled our bags to the hotel, Mary checked in. - When we dragged the bags to the hotel, Mary checked in.
(Past Simple shows that first we dragged the bags to the hotel, and then Mary checked in)

At first glance, this time seems difficult. It is important to remember the basic principle - Past Perfect is where two actions have occurred in succession. The one that happened before is expressed in the Past Perfect, and what happened after it is expressed in the Past Simple.

In addition, this time indicates that some past event has ended by some point. In order to make it easier to understand in which cases this time is used, it is necessary to remember the markers that are used with the Past Perfect, study the structure of sentences, and also visualize the sequence of actions.

And in order to finally fix the material and put everything “on the shelves”, we recommend watching the video:

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

As we know, the British love order in everything, and the English language is no exception. In their opinion, each action should have its own order. In Russian, we use the same tense to express all past actions. We list a few events, then return to another event that happened before all the others. An Englishman will never tolerate such "chaos" in his speech. If he forgot about an important event that happened before everyone else, then he will report it in a specially designated time for this called Past Perfect. About him today and will be discussed. C "mon!

What is Past Perfect

Past Perfect Tense is the past perfect tense. We usually use it to talk about an action that ended at or before some point in the past.

For example: When he read the book, he went to bed.

What was the first action? First he read a book and then went to bed. That is, by the time he went to bed, he had already read the book. To show that the first action ended before the second happened, in the first part of the sentence, you need to use the Past Perfect - “When he had read the book, he went to bed.” In other words, we use the Past Perfect to show the sequence of actions, that is, that one action in the past happened before another.

How Past Perfect is formed (formulas + examples)

Statement. The predicate in the Past Perfect consists of two parts: the auxiliary verb " had" and third form of main verb(to the correct verb we add the ending "- ed", and we take the form of the wrong one from the third column of the table of irregular verbs).

Negation. In a negative sentence between the auxiliary verb " had"and the main verb appears particle" not».

As in many other tenses, the Past Perfect has abbreviated forms that are used in colloquial speech. AT affirmative sentence " had» unites with pronoun, in negative- with particle " not". For example:

I'd come.
You'd finished.
I hadn't come.
You hadn't finished.

Question. An interrogative sentence begins with the auxiliary verb " had", followed by subject and main verb.

Past Perfect Marker Words

If the sentence contains the following words, then it refers to the Past Perfect Tense:

by- to;
hardly… when / no sooner… than- as soon as, barely, I did not have time;
after- after;
earlier- earlier, before - before;
first- first;
when- when;
just- just now;
already- already;
yet- already, not yet.

Past Perfect marker table

Marker	Example	Translation
by	Unfortunately, most of the audience hadn't stayed by the end of the play.	Unfortunately, by the end of the performance, most of the audience left.
hardly...when	Hardly had they crossed the road when the accident happened.	As soon as they crossed the road, an accident happened.
no sooner… than	No sooner he had came in than he heard congratulations and his friends gathered around him.a	As soon as he entered, he heard congratulations and friends gathered around him.
after	After boy had done his hometask he went out to play football with his friends.	After the boy did his homework, he went for a walk.
earlier	She knew how to cook a cake because she had made it earlier.	She knew how to bake a cake because she had made it before.
before	James easily won this game because he had played it many times before.	James played the game easily as he had played it many times before.
first	First we had taken all our bags, then understood that we forgot our tickets on the table.	At first we took things, and then we realized that we forgot the tickets on the table.
when	John had sat to work when his boss called for him.	John sat down to work when his boss called him.
just	I just had sat to have lunch when my friend called me.	I had just sat down to have lunch when my friend called me.
already	We had already bought a cake when Jill called us and told that she bought a cake too.	We had already bought a cake when Jill called us and said that she also bought a cake.
yet	I hadn't served the table yet when the guests came.	I had not yet set the table when the guests arrived.

Cases of using Past Perfect:

The Past Perfect shows an action that happened before another action or a specific moment in the past. Another action in the past is most often indicated by Past Simple, and special words can be used: “ by"(to some time/moment)," after" (after), " before"(before, before)," when" (when), " earlier" (before), " first» (at first, at first).

Before Anna called her husband she had finished all the work. Before Anna called her husband, she finished all the work.

Nota bene: if actions are put in chronological okay, then you need to use Past Simple:

Anna finished all work and called her husband. Anna finished all the work and (then) called her husband (chronological order).

The Past Perfect explains the reason: we want to show that the action expressed by the Past Perfect has become cause that another action has taken place.

He was hungry. He hadn't eaten for eight hours. - He was hungry. He hasn't eaten in eight hours.

She couldn't buy a new pair of shoes as she had lost her credit card. She couldn't buy a new pair of shoes because she lost her credit card.

The Past Perfect is used after " if» in conditional sentences of the third type ( third conditional). This type of conditional shows regret about the past. We could do something in the past if we fulfilled the condition, but in the present we can no longer change the situation.

If I had known about your problem, I would have helped you. - If I knew about your problem, I would help you.
If you had read the morning newspaper, you would have agreed with me. - If you read the morning paper, you would agree with me.

Past Perfect is used in constructions " hardly … when" and " no sooner … than". These constructions show that one action happened immediately after another. The peculiarity is that they use back order words, as in the question. Such sentences are translated into Russian using the words "as soon as ...", "I did not have time ...", "I barely ...".

Hardly had the plane landed at the Miami airport, when it started to rain. - As soon as the plane landed at Miami airport, it started to rain.
No sooner had I chewed my sandwich than somebody knocked at the door. - Before I could chew my sandwich, someone knocked on the door.

Enumeration of actions in the past that happened before the time of the story generally:

I finally caught Lucky and looked around. The nasty dog had scratched furniture, had torn the wallpapers and had eaten my lunch on the table. - I finally caught Lucky and looked around. The nasty dog scratched the furniture, tore the wallpaper and ate my dinner on the table.

Education Past Perfect Passive

Like most times, Past Perfect has passive construction .

Statement: subject + had been + verb 3 forms + [by an object].

The test had been finished by the end of the day.- The test was completed by the end of the day.
The picture had been painted by the Monday. - The picture was drawn by Monday.

Negation: subject + had + not + been + verb 3 forms + [by an object].

The test had not been finished by the end of the day. - The test was not completed by the end of the day.
The bicycle had not been repaired by 2 o'clock. - The bike had not been repaired by two o'clock.

Question: had + subject + been + verb 3 shapes + [by object]?

Had the questions been discussed before the exam?- Were the questions discussed before the exam?
Had the picture been painted by the Monday?- The picture was drawn by Monday?

Present Perfect vs Past Perfect

Very often, when translating from Russian into English, you can get confused in choosing the right time, because they both have similar features. Let's look at the table to get rid of doubts about the differences between Present Perfect and Past Perfect.

Difference between Present Perfect and Past Perfect

Indicates that the action expressed by the Present Perfect time has completed by now or in the present time period: The shopping center has just opened. - The mall just opened.	Indicates that the action expressed by the Past Perfect time happened before another action or a certain moment in the past: We came to the office, but the administrator had already gone away. - We came to the office, and the administrator had already left.
Shows that the action happened in the past, it is unknown and no matter when exactly, but its result is visible in the present: He knows her name. They have already met. - He knows her name. They have already met.	Shows that an action happened in the past and became the cause, led to the fact that another action happened in the past: My brother felt hungry. He had not eaten since yesterday. - My brother was hungry. He hasn't eaten since yesterday.

Nota bene: We recommend that you read a little theory again and complete the task in our online simulatorso that you never again have doubts about using Past Perfect.

Conclusion

So, today we examined the forms of formation of affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences in the Past Perfect, both in the active and in the passive voice. We remembered which markers you should pay attention to, and figured out how not to confuse the Present Perfect and Past Perfect with each other. But the most important thing to remember is that next to the Past Perfect there should be one more action in the past.

We offer you to get acquainted with other tenses of the English language

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past perfect- past perfect tense. Its peculiarity is that it is not used in speech on its own and is necessarily attached to another action. Why do the British need it? The reason lies in their love for order and organization. In Russian, we use the same tense to express all past actions. We list a few events, then return to another event that happened before all the others. An Englishman in his speech will never allow such "chaos". If he forgot about an important event that happened before everyone else, he will report it at a specially designated time for this - past perfect.

How is the Past Perfect formed?

Statement

Predicate in past perfect consists of two parts: auxiliary verb had and the third form of the main verb (we add the ending to the regular verb - ed, and we take the form of the wrong one from the third column).

Negation

In a negative sentence between an auxiliary verb had and the particle appears as the main verb not.

As in many other times, past perfect there are abbreviated forms that are used in colloquial speech. In an affirmative sentence had combined with a pronoun, in the negative - with a particle not. For example:

I'd done.
You'd decided.
I hadn't done.
You didn't decide.

Question

An interrogative sentence begins with an auxiliary verb had, followed by the subject and the main verb.

In order to consistently study past perfect, we have divided all its functions into three levels. In the green block you will find what you need to know at the beginner level, in the yellow block for the intermediate level, in the red block for the advanced level.

Using the Past Perfect

First level

past perfect always goes hand in hand with another action in the past. past perfect shows an action that happened before another action or a specific moment in the past. Another action in the past is most often indicated past simple, while special words can be used: by... (to some time/moment), after(after), before(before, before) when(when), earlier(before), first(first, first).

We arrived at the station at 7.30, but the train had left. We arrived at the station at 7:30, but the train had already gone. (first the train left, then we arrived at the station)

He had been a usual clerk before he became a successful businessman. - He was ordinary clerk before that, as became a successful businessman.

Often past perfect explains the reason: we want to show that the action expressed past perfect, caused another action to occur.

He was hungry. He hadn't eaten for eight hours. - He was hungry. He did not eat eight hours.

She couldn't buy a new pair of shoes as she had lost her credit card. She couldn't buy a new pair of shoes because lost credit card.

Time past perfect similar in meaning to Present Perfect with the difference that the time of the action does not occur in the present (now), but in the past (then).

They are not at home. They have gone shopping. → They were not at home. They had gone shopping.
Them No Houses. They are gone go shopping. → Their did not have Houses. They are gone go shopping.

Another common feature Present Perfect and past perfect- adverbs just(just now), already(already), yet(already, still).

They were moving to another country, but they hadn't told their parents yet. - They moved to another country, but haven't said yet about it to your parents.

The most common mistake made with past perfect- use this time where it is not necessary, most often instead of past simple. For example, when we talk about a simple action that happened a long time ago. remember, that past perfect works only when there are two actions.

I learned English at school. - I learned English at school.
I had learned English before I entered the university. - I learned English before that, as entered the University.

Where else is the Past Perfect found?

Middle level

past perfect shows that the action began in the past and continued until a certain point in the past. Prepositions already familiar to us are often used here. for(during) and since(since).
He didn't want to drive that car anymore. He had driven it for 30 years. He didn't want to drive that car anymore. He drove her 30 years old.

Her speech was impressive. She had worked on it since Monday. Her speech was impressive. She is worked over it since Monday.

This function is not fully applicable to past perfect she belongs by right Past Perfect Continuous. past perfect in this sense is used with state verbs (), i.e. verbs that cannot "last".

Before we talked, Mary had been upset for three days. She had been crying all this time. Before we talked, Mary was frustrated for three days. She is cried all this time.
AT past perfect, As in Present Perfect, there is a function by which we talk about personal experience. The difference is that past perfect we use when talking about our experiences in the past.
The last week of my holidays was the worst week I had ever had. The last week of my vacation was the worst week I have ever had. was.

By the time I moved to Dublin I had written seven books and I was working hard on the eighth. – By the time I moved to Dublin, I wrote seven books and was actively working on an eighth.

Difficult cases of using Past Perfect

High level

past perfect used after if in conditional sentences of the third type (). This type of conditional shows regret for the past. We could do something in the past if we fulfilled the condition, but in the present we can no longer change the situation.
If I had known about your problem, I would have helped you. - If I knew about your problem, I would help you.

If you had read the morning newspaper, you would have agreed with me. - If you was reading morning paper, you would agree with me.
past perfect used in structures hardly ... when and no sooner ... than. These constructions show that one action happened immediately after another. The peculiarity is that they use the reverse word order, as in the question. Such sentences are translated into Russian using the words “as soon as”, “I didn’t have time”, “barely I”.
hardy had the plane landed at the Miami airport, when it started to rain. - Barely airplane landed at the Miami airport as it started to rain.

No sooner had I chewed my sandwich than somebody knocked at the door. - Did not have time I chew your sandwich as someone knocked the door.
In modern English past perfect are increasingly being replaced by past simple, especially in American English. We can use past simple instead of past perfect if the sequence of events is clear from the context. In such sentences there are words after(after), before(before), earlier(before), first(first, first), etc.
After he had finished repairing his car, he took a shower. = After he finished repairing his car, he took a shower. - After is he finished fix the car, he took a shower.

I agreed to meet her though I was angry with her as we had quarreled earlier. = I agreed to meet her though I was angry with her as we earlier. - I agreed to meet her, although I was angry with her, because we had a fight.

This rule does not work with the union when(when): with the change of tense, the meaning of the whole sentence may change.

When we came home, she had cooked already prepared dinner. (Past Perfect means dinner was done before we got home)

When we came home, she cooked dinner. When we got home, she prepared dinner. (Past Simple shows that first we came home and then she cooked dinner)

The more complex time seems, the less meaning it has. This rule also applies to past perfect. The main thing to remember is next to past perfect there must be another action in the past. To better remember this time, take the test and download the table, in which you can always peep and refresh your knowledge.

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Test

Past Perfect - Past Perfect Tense in English

English grammar is sometimes very insidious. But you can avoid all the traps set if you clearly study all the rules and work them out, fix each step. So, having learned, having analyzed the examples of Past Perfect, you will insure yourself against falling into a trap.

The past completed tense helps convey events that have already ended up to a certain point in the past. It can be either a time frame or another, later action. Having become acquainted with the rule, it's time to move on to past perfect examples that will help dot the i's.

Example sentences in Past Perfect

When considering any statement, find a point in the conversation that contains important information or the main idea. In relation to a given situation, the action in the paste perfect may have already been completed, or it may continue at the onset of another, later moment. Some Past Perfect sentences are often accompanied by perfect adverbs, as they are sometimes called signal words.

When we arrived we realized that the manager had reserved the wrong room for us.— When we arrived, we discovered that the manager had booked the wrong room for us.

"Was Ann at work when you arrived?" No, she had gone. Anna was at work when you arrived? No, she's already gone.

When I left my friend's house I realized that I had forgotten the keys. When I left my friends house, I found that I forgot my keys.

We had bought the goods by that time. By that time we had bought all the goods.

That factory had produced all goods acooding to its yearly plan by the 5th of December.— By December 5, the factory had produced all the goods according to its annual plan.

We hadn't reached the airport when it began to snow. Before we got to the airport, it started to snow.

That was the best time I had ever had here.- It was the best time I've spent here.

It was the third serious mistake you had made here.“That was the third major mistake you made here.

We had expected that m ore people attended the fair. We expected more people to visit the fair.

We had hardly arrived at the hotel, when it started to rain. We had hardly arrived at the hotel when it started to rain.

As can be seen from the examples of sentences in the Past Perfect, an action can take place literally a second before another event, or, by a certain number, time. This must be specified in the proposal.

Past Perfect exercises are as diverse as English. These can also be tests for comparing past tenses, tasks for building various types of sentences or a passive voice in this tense. It is advisable to practically train as much as possible, because only this will help to put everything on the shelves. On our site you will find not only various, but also exciting tasks.

Exercises for the Past Perfect

1. Open the brackets and put the verbs inPast Simple orpast perfect.

It was the first time I (see) this film.
It was quite at home when I (get), so I (go) straight home.
He was driving along the forest when suddenly he (see) a car which (break) down, so we (stop) to see if we could help.
Mary (land) Dick some money only after he (promise) to give it back the next day.
I (intend) to repair the car, but I ran out of time.
David (eat) Chinese food before so he (know) what to order.
He (open) the door that he (unlock) before.
when she (open) the fridge she (find) that her flat mate Lucy (drink) all the milk.
This was the third cake you (eat) this morning.
The minister hardly (start) his speech he was interrupted.

had seen
Got/went
Saw/ had broken/ stopped
Lent/had promised
Had intended
Had eaten/knew
Opened/had unlocked
Opened/found/had drunk
had eaten
Had hardly started

2. Translate the sentences into English

By the time he arrived, we had already had dinner.
He offered to have a bite to eat before we started studying for the exam, since he hadn't eaten anything since the morning.
She had just entered the house as soon as I called her.
Alice complained that she had gained weight.
It was the first time she had been so kind to the children.
I hoped that they would let me know the outcome of the meeting. But they didn't call.
When I woke up, my wife had already taken her daughter to school.
He intended to start his own business, but he spent the money.
I found that I forgot my umbrella on the bus when it started to rain.
This was the only time I was late for work.

When he arrived we had dinner.
He offered to have a snack before we begin to prepare for our examination because he hadn’t eaten anything since morning.
She had just entered the house as I called her.
Alice complained that she had gained the weight.
It was the first time when she had been so kind with children.
I had hoped they informed me of the result of the meeting. But they didn't call.
When I woke up, the wife had already taken a daughter to the kindergarten.
He had intended to start a business, but he spent the money.
I realized that I had forgotten the umbrella in the bus, when it rained.
It was the only time when I had been late for a job.

Learning English grammar is impossible without the Past Perfect. It is only at first glance that this tense seems extremely complicated and incomprehensible - it does not exist in Russian / Ukrainian languages. If you calmly understand these tables and learn how to analyze time intervals, then you will never get confused. Past Perfect is inextricably linked with time and, since it is used to denote an action that has occurred before some other action in the past.

For example:
"I didn't go to the cinema because I had already seen the film." Notice that both actions are in the past tense, but the one that happened earlier (first) - “already saw” is used in Past Perfect - “had already seen”, and the one that happened later (second) - “did not go” - in Past Simple - "didn't go."

The past perfect tense (The Past Perfect) is used:

for an action completed by a certain point in the past:
1. The children cleaned the room by 7 pm.
  Children had cleaned the room by 7 p.m.
2. My sister left before I called her.
  My sister had gone away by the time I called her.
for an event(s) that happened before another in the past:
1. I couldn't find the magazine he lent me.
  I couldn't find the magazine that he had lent me.
2. After my son told me his story, he felt better.
  After my son had told me his story, he felt better.
3. Before I returned, my husband had already cooked dinner.
  Before I came back, my husband had already made dinner.
4. Her boyfriend left the hall before she sang the song.
  When she sang a song her boyfriend had left the hall.
  (sequence: 1. Her boyfriend left the hall, 2. She sang a song)
  When the sequence of events is obvious, the Past Simple can also be used:
  When she sang a song her boyfriend left the hall.
  (sequence: 1. She sang a song, 2. Her boyfriend left the hall)
  After she sang the song, her boyfriend left the hall. When we finished/had finished the meal, she offered some coffee. After we ate, she offered us coffee.
in indirect (indirect) speech:
1. Maria said that she had bought apples yesterday.
  Mary said she had bought the apples the day before yesterday.
2. Alice asked if I had been to London.
  Alice asked if I had ever been to London.

Past perfect markers

Markers for The Past Perfect Tense are:

1. adverbs and expressions denoting certain periods of time: just, already, yet, for, since, ever, never, it was the first / second time, it was the most ... For example: “We met again. We hadn't seen each other for several months."

2. subordinate clauses with: when, before, after, until, as soon as, by that time, by the winter, by 5 p.m. For example: "Most of the engineers had arrived by 10 a.m."

To consolidate knowledge about Past Perfect, watch this video carefully: