Past Perfect Tense

Function|Structure|Example|Story and Passage|Exercise|Translation|Question Formation

Hi, there

Today, I will be discussing Past Perfect Tense in detail in which you will find different functions, sample, structure, story & passage, translation, and practice set for better learning.

I ensure you after reading this post you will be able to comprehend any story or text written in the Past Perfect Tense.

The past perfect tense is used to distinguish between two actions in the past. When we use to emphasize that one action was completed before the other started, we use the past perfect tense for the earlier of the two actions.

Example.

1. We had reached the school before the bell rang.
2. The teacher had come when I entered the class.

Some adverbs like, Already, Ever, Just, Never are used with the past perfect tense to emphasize the order of the events. For example

1. The train had just departed when we reached the station.
2. I had already seen the Taj.
3. He had never gone to America.

Sentence Type and their Structure

Affirmative Sentence

Subject+Had+Verb[3rd form of verb]+Object+Place+Time.

Example:-He had written a letter to his father.

Negative Sentence

Subject+Had+Not+Verb[3rd form of verb]+Object+Place+Time.

Example:-He had not written a letter to his father.

Interrogative Sentence

Had+Subject+Not+Verb[3rd form of verb]+Object+Place+Time.

Example:-Had he not written a letter to his father?

Main Interrogative Sentence.

Question Word+Had+Subject+Not+Verb[3rd form of verb]+Object+Place+Time.

Example:-Why had he not written a letter to his father?

When there are two clauses or for double sentences–

When Before is in the middle-

Affirmative Sentence.

Subject + had + past participle form of the main vrb + before + subject + simple past tense . . . .

1. Mohan had completed his assignment before the teacher asked.
2. I had brought sweets before you came here.

Negative sentence

Subject + had + not + past participle form of the main verb + before + subject + simple past tense . . . .Example-

1. Mohan had not completed his assignment before the teacher asked.
2. I had not brought sweets before you came here.

Interrogative Sentence

had + Subject +  not + past participle form of the main verb + before + subject + simple past tense . . . .

1. Had Mohan completed his assignment before the teacher asked?
2. Had I not brought sweets before you came here?

Main Interrogative Sentence

Question Word + had + Subject +  not + past participle form of the main verb + before + subject + simple past tense . . . . Example

1. Why had Mohan not completed his assignment before the teacher asked?
2. Where had I brought sweets before you came here?

When Before is in the beginning.

Affirmative Sentence

Before + subject + simple past tense + subject + had + past participle form of the verb +. . . .

1. Before the father went to the office, he had given me some money.
2. Before he reached the station he had bought the platform ticket.

Negative Sentence

Before + subject + simple past tense + subject + had + not + past participle form of the verb +. . . .

1. Before the father went to the office, he had not given me some money.
2. Before he reached the station he had not bought the platform ticket.

Interrogative Sentence

Before + subject + simple past tense + had + subject + + not + past participle form of the verb +. . . .

1. Before the father went to the office,had he not given me some money?
2. Before he reached the station,had he not bought the platform ticket?

Main Interrogative Sentence

Before + subject + simple past tense + question word + had + subject + + not + past participle form of the verb +. . . .

1. Before the father went to the office, where had he given me some money?
2. Before he reached the station, why had he not bought the platform ticket?

When After is in the middle.

Affirmative Sentence

Subject + simple past tense + after + subject + had + past participle . . . .

1. My brother reached the station after the train had gone.
2. I slept at night after I had eaten the food.

Negative Sentence

Subject + did + not + verb + after + subject + had + past participle . . . .

1. My brother did not reach the station after the train had gone.
2. I did not sleep at night after I had eaten the food.

Interrogative sentence

Did + Subject + not + verb + after + subject + had + past participle . . . .

1. Did my brother reach the station after the train had gone?
2. Did I not sleep at night after I had eaten the food?

Main Interrogative sentence

Question word + did + Subject + not + verb + after + subject + had + past participle . . . .

1. Why did my brother reach the station after the train had gone?
2. Where did I sleep at night after I had eaten the food

When After is in the beginning

Affirmative sentence

After + subject + had + past participle + subject + simple past tense . . . .

1. After the boys had gone,the teacher called me.
2. After my brother had come home,we ate the food.

Negative Sentence

After + subject + had + past participle + subject + simple past tense{in negative form} . . . .

1. After the boys had gone,the teacher did not call me.
2. After my brother had come home,we did not eat the food.

Interrogative sentence

After + subject + had + past participle + subject + simple past tense{in interrogative form} . . . .

1. After the boys had gone, did the teacher not call me?
2. After my brother had come home, did we not eat the food?

Main Interrogative sentence

After + subject + had + past participle + subject + simple past tense{in main  interrogative form} . . . .

1. After the boys had gone,why did the teacher call me?
2. After my brother had come home,when did we eat the food?

Note:- WHEN can be used in place of BEFORE or AFTER in any of the above structures.

Exercise -1 Read the Story And Answer the questions

Last night, Rohit and Neha danced in a competition. They danced a salsa dance. They had practised for 6 months before they danced in the competition. They were very good.

Rohit and Neha’s friends were in the audience. Before that night, they had never seen Rohit and Neha dance. In fact, Rohit and Neha had never danced in front of anyone before the competition.

After everyone had danced, the judges announced the winners. Rohit and Neha won! They were the best dancers in the competition. Neha said she had never practised so hard before! She was glad they had practised a lot.

Answer the following Question-

1. Who danced last night?
2. How many months had they practiced?
3. Where were Rohit and Neha’s friends?
4. Had they ever seen Rohit and Neha’s dance?
5. Who had announced the winner?
6. When had the judge announced the winner?
7. Who won the competition?
8. Who were the best dancers?
9. What did Neha say?
10. Had they really practiced a lot?

Exercise 2: Read this passage and frame 5 questions-

I had never seen such beautiful sights before I visited Paris in 2019. I had saved money for 2 years before I booked my trip to Paris. I was very excited! Before my trip to Paris, I had never been out of India.

When I went to Paris, I spent many days touring the city. The city was big. Sometimes I got lost and asked for directions. I asked for directions in English. That was easy because I had studied English. 

By the time I left Paris, I had toured many beautiful places. The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Luxembourg Gardens were just a few of the places I saw. Before I visited Paris, I had only seen those places on the Internet.

Exercise 3: Read the following and frame 6 questions –

The Sharma family had never owned a car until they bought their first car in 2018. Before they bought it, they had only used taxis and buses for transportation. They had never owned anything so expensive before they bought the car.

The Sharma family was very excited about their new car. The children had never ridden in a car before their parents purchased the car. They had only seen a few cars when they went to town for supplies. But nobody they knew had ever owned a car before that day. They felt very lucky.

Translate the following sentences into Hindi/Urdu

1. We had reached home before it rained.
2. The train had started before I reached the station
3. She had read her book before she slept.
4. Ram went to school after he had learned his lesson.
5. I had already heard this news.
6. I had not seen this house before.
7. The patient had not died before the doctor came.
8. The thief ran away after the arrival of the police.
9. The teacher had not finished the course before the examination began.
10. I did not reach the station after the train had come. 
11. Had the bell rung before I reached the school?
12. Had they taken tea before the sun rose?
13. Had we not reached the bus-stand before the bus started? 
14. Did the class start after the children had reached school? 
15. Had the servant not prepared coffee before we reached.? 
16. How many children had slept before sunset?
17. Which song had that girl sung before we came?
18. Why did you write the letter after I had slept?
19. What did the patient eat after the doctor had gone
20. After the train had gone, why did Riya buy the ticket? 

Translate the following sentences into English

Translate From Hindi To English.

1. मेरे आने से पहले पिताजी स्नान कर चुके थे।
2. पत्र लिखने से पहले श्याम ने समाचार-पत्र पढ़ा था। 
3. लड़कों के आने से पहले चपरासी ने घंटी बजा दी थी। 
4. पत्र लिखने के बाद मीरा ने दरवाजा बन्द कर दिया। 
5. घण्टी बजने के बाद प्रधानाचार्य जी ने अध्यापकों को बुलाया। 
6. सूर्य अस्त होने से पहले भाई साहब मथुरा से नहीं आये थे।
7. खाना खाने के बाद मेहमान सो नहीं गये थे।
8. हिरन को पकड़ने के बाद शिकारी अपने घर को नहीं लौट आया था।
9. जब हम स्टेशन पर पहुँचे, तब रेलगाड़ी नहीं जा चुकी थीं 
10. यह समाचार माताजी पहले ही नहीं सुन चुकी थीं।
11. क्या सूर्य निकलने से पहले वह उठ बैठा था? 
12. क्या चाँद अस्त होने से पहले वे चाय पी चुके थे?
13. क्या चपरासी के आने से पहले मैनेजर साहब कालिज से लौट गये थे?
14. क्या दवाई खाने के पश्चात तुम्हारा भाई सो गया था?
15. क्या पुस्तक पढ़ने के बाद माताजी ने खाना बनाया था?
16. तुम्हारे सोने से पहले यहाँ कौन आया था?
17. तुम्हारे सोने के बाद रजनीश ने क्या किया था?
18. दिन निकलने से पहले किसान ने खेत क्यों नहीं जोता था? 
19. बारिश बन्द होने के बाद कुछ लड़के पुस्तकालय क्यों नहीं गये थे?
20. सूर्य निकलने से पहले तुम्हारे नौकर ने मेरे लिए कॉफी कब बनायी थी? 

Content Writer– Mohammad Anas.….. Edited by– Shadab Akhtar.