EnglishTenses
English Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect
Past Perfect describes an action that was completed before another action in the past.
The Past Perfect tense (formed with had + past participle) is used to make it clear that one event happened before another event in the past. It is often used to establish chronological order in narratives.
Examples
The train had left when I arrived.
The train had left when I arrived.
She had finished her homework before dinner.
She had finished her homework before dinner.
I realized I had forgotten my keys.
I realized I had forgotten my keys.
Related terms
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