Past perfect simple

1. To describe the first of two events in the past.

(1) I had spoken to Mr Johnson | (2) before the meeting began.

|_________________|_________________|______________________|

past perfect past simple present future

!!! Note: when two actions followed closely each other, we can use the past simple
(After he took the medicine, he felt better).
When: (2) When I got to the station |the train had left (1). (the train left before I got to the
station).
↔ When I got to the station, the train left. (two events happened simultaneously)
2. As soon as, the moment, immediately, until, no sooner, hardly, scarcely (completion of
an activity), just, already
As soon as I had told her the news, I regretted it.
After we had passed our exams, we went out to celebrate.
The concert had started before I got to the hall. (= I got to the hall after the concert had started).
I had hardly sat down when the phone rang.
She did not understand until I had explained.
I had no sooner got into bed then I fell asleep.
3. unrealized past plans: hope, intend, expect, think, mean, suppose, want
We had wanted to help but could not get there in time.
Present perfect simple ~ Past perfect simple
We aren’t hungry. We’ve just had lunch. We weren’t hungry. We had just had lunch.
Jeremy is 21 now and he’s been in a Jeremy was 21 and he had been in a
wheelchair since he was 10. wheelchair since he was 10.

Past simple ~ Past perfect simple

Kate wasn’t at home when I phoned. Kate had just got home when I phoned.
She was at her mum’s house. She had been at her mother’s house.

Past perfect continuous

Present perfect continuous vs.
Activity, duration, looking back from the present.
I’m tired. I’ve been working all day.
Past perfect continuous
Activity, duration, looking back from the past
I was tired. I had been working all day.
How long had you been learning Hungarian
before you came here?

Past continuous and Past perfect continuous

Cathy was sitting in an armchair resting. She was tired because she had been working very
hard.