THE PAST PERFECTTHE TENSES SERIES IV

1

THE PAST PERFECT EXPRESSES AN ACTIVITY THAT WAS COMPLETED BEFORE ANOTHER ACTIVITY IN THE PAST.

DEFINITION 2

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF THE PAST PERFECT 3

THE GRAPHIC SHOWS THAT A PAST PERFECT ACTION TAKES PLACE BEFORE ANOTHER ACTION IN THE PAST.

USING THE PAST PERFECT FOR TWO SEQUENTIAL ACTIONS IN THE PAST 4

I got to work (at 8:30 AM).I ate breakfast (at 7 AM).

By the time I got to work, I had already eaten breakfast.

By 8:30, I had already eaten breakfast.

When I got to work, I had already eaten breakfast.

The main clause uses had + participle, and the time clause (when, by the time) uses the simple past.

I had already eaten breakfast when I got to work.

THE PAST PERFECT IS A COMPLEX TENSE. WHEN THE SEQUENCE OF PAST EVENTS IS CLEAR, IT IS UNNECESSARY.

THE PAST PERFECT IS A COMPLEX TENSE. 5

USING THE PAST TENSE FOR TWO SEQUENTIAL ACTIONS IN THE PAST 6

I got to work at (8:30 AM).I ate breakfast (at 7 AM).

I ate breakfast before I got to work.

First I ate breakfast, and then I got to work.

Both of the sentences are possible and there is no need for the past perfect tense because the sequence of events is clear (The use of “before,” “after” or “First…and then.” However, all of these sentences are possible using the past perfect as well.)

I got to work after I ate breakfast

I ate breakfast, then I got to work.

I ate breakfast at 7 AM. I got to work at 8:30 AM.

7EXAMPLES: PAST TO PAST PERFECT

First I brushed my teeth, and then I went to bed. By the time I went to bed, I had brushed my teeth.

I read the newspaper before I went to work. When I got to work, I had already read the newspaper.

We went to the movies after we had dinner. We had already had dinner when we went to the movies.

PAST PAST PERFECT

AS IN MOST TENSES, THE PAST PERFECT IS CONTROLLED BY TIME MARKERS. WHEN YOU SEE THEM, YOU KNOW WHICH TENSE IT IS.

THE PAST PERFECT 8

THE PAST PERFECT: TIME MARKERS

TIME MARKERS▸ When

▸ By the time…

▸ By (+ time+ clause)

▸ By (+ exact time)

▸ By 6 PM

▸ By Friday

▸ By next week

▸ By March

▸ By 1999

▸ etc

9

‣ When I got home, I had already eaten dinner. (I ate dinner before I got home)

‣ By the time I was 18, I had learned to drive.

‣ By Friday, I had already finished the report.

‣ By 1995, I hadn’t learned Spanish yet.

‣ By 6PM, I had done my homework.

EXAMPLES

THE PAST PERFECT: YET AND ALREADY

▸ Already means that something happened before expected.

▸ Yet is used in questions or negative statements to talk about things that we expected to happen before now.

▸ Note the placement of the time markers”Yet"and “Already.” “Already" is a “mid-sentence adverb of time.” It can be placed after an auxiliary and before a conjugated verb or it can go at the end of the sentence. “Yet,” however, can only be used (for this meaning) at the end of the sentence.

10

YOU SHOULD ALREADY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE USE OF "YET," AND "ALREADY" FROM OUR WORK WITH THE PRESENT PERFECT. THESE TWO TIME MARKERS CAN ALSO BE USED WITH THE PAST PERFECT.

EXAMPLESWhen I got home, I hadn't eaten dinner yet.

By the time I was 18 years old, I had already gotten my drivers license.

By 6:30 PM, I had seen 15 clients already.

THE PAST PERFECT ALSO HAS A PROGRESSIVE FORM, INDICATING AN ONGOING ACTION IN THE REMOTE PAST INTERRUPTED BY ANOTHER PAST ACTION.

THE PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE 11

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF THE PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE 12

I was waiting for you (for 30 minutes). You finally came.

When you finally came, I had been waiting for you for 30 minutes.

This indicates that a past tense event started and continued until another past tense event took place.

13