Past Perfect grammar rules in English and the pro-feminist Ivan Franko

Past Perfect is an English tense that allows us to describe situations that preceded other events in the past. It's also worth noting that this tense is called "perfect" because the action is already completed. An example of its use is the sentence "I had gotten my driver's license before I entered university." Both events described by the speaker happened, but getting the license occurred first in chronological order. To emphasize this, we use the Past Perfect tense and its rules. Below, we'll discuss the tense in more detail and how to quickly learn and use it in your speech.

When to use the Past Perfect and how it differs from other Tenses

The structure of a sentence in the Past Perfect tense looks like this: 

Subject + had + verb with -ed ending / third form of an irregular verb

Example: 

• I had ironed all the clothes before the lights were turned off.

The Past Perfect Tense is most commonly used to describe narratives—events that are connected to each other. For example, when we recount the life of a famous writer and focus on how the events of their life unfolded one after the other. To help you better grasp the nuances and differences of this tense, we’ll provide examples of its use in speech:

• events that were completely finished before a certain point in the past: “I told you that I had already eaten today”;

• situations in the past that influenced another event (also in the past), for example: “I had lost the keys to my flat, so I had to book a hotel room”;

• sentence constructions like “as soon as I…”, for example: “As soon as I had entered, my father started arguing with me.”

Comparing the Past Perfect Tense with Other Tenses in English

The English language has four past tense forms, which can be easily mixed up. Besides the Past Perfect, there’s also the Past Simple, the most commonly used tense. There’s also Past Continuous — the past progressive tense. Additionally, there’s a combination of perfect and progressive — the Past Perfect Continuous. To help you understand the semantic differences between these four tenses, we’ve prepared a summary table with simple examples:

A course on the Past Perfect in English that can replace a tutor

If you want to master English grammar as thoroughly as possible, it’s advisable to focus on each tense separately. Our new grammar course, complete with a bonus historical-literary excursion, will help you familiarize yourself with and memorize all the features of the Past Perfect in English. 

Key features of this course:

• Takes minimal time. We’ve packed all the necessary information into a single lesson for self-study. By dedicating just 1-2 hours to it, you’ll be able to understand all the rules of the Past Perfect. We save you both time and money!

• Allows you to explore native culture through learning English. Since this tense is narrative, we decided to tell you the biography of Ivan Franko and, through it, show the nuances of using English grammar.

• Helps you learn new useful vocabulary. In the text about Ivan Franko, you’ll find many new words and will be able to quickly understand and memorize their translation from the context. In the future, these words will come in handy when telling foreign friends about Ukrainian culture.

• Teaches you to comprehend English by ear. The story of the great Kameniar is presented in a video that will help you practice listening skills. Being able to listen to your interlocutor is the path to understanding.

• Explains the Past Perfect Tense and its rules in accessible language. We’ve placed the grammar rules in a table so you can quickly see and understand everything, and then repeat it.

Exercises for better material retention. Use your new knowledge in practice so it’s better retained in your memory. You’ll find interactive exercises that can be done as a quiz right from your phone. We provide you not only with knowledge but also ensure the ease of the learning process!