The past perfect is used to demonstrate an action that occurred before another action in the past. There are usually two completed actions in the sentence; one happens before the other.

Structures:


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

Alex had completed the task before the teacher asked.

I had bought a phone before you came here.


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

Before I went to the office, I finished some business with her.

Before she went home, she had taken a test.


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

Mark ate after I had bought him a bat.

I went to the office after I had finished some business with her.


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

After I had bought a phone, she came to the shop.

After she had gone, I came in.


Note: When can be used in place of before or after in any of the above structures.

More examples of Past Perfect Tense Examples.
  • I had written articles on various topics before he came.
  • He had read different kinds of books before you came.
  • They had played football in that field before it started to rain.
  • She had gone to the coffee shop before she came home.
  • He had studied in the library before he came to the class.
  • I came here after you had left.
  • We had shopped in that shop before we came home.
  • We had watched a movie in that Cineplex before he came.
  • You had shopped in that market before you came home.
  • I had practiced the songs before the program started.
  • I had listened to melodious songs before I started the work.
  • He had traveled around the world before he came to Bangladesh.
  • They had played hockey in that field before it started to rain.
  • The poet had written a romantic poem before he came to the program.
  • The lyricist had come to the program before the minister came.
  • Had you come to the program before I came?
  • I had not watched the cricket match on television before you came.
  • He had not practiced the song before he sang it in the program.
  • I helped him to do the task after I had finished my work.
  • We had taken an ice-cream before we left the ice-cream parlor.