Common Errors: The past perfect

Common errors exam students make when using the past perfect:

  I arrived at 1pm but she didn't arrive yet.

  I arrived at 1pm but she hadn't arrived yet.

  I went to his house this morning but he already left.

  I went to his house this morning but he had already left.

  Lisa had graduated from university yesterday.

  Lisa graduated from university yesterday.

When do I use the past perfect?

1. We use the past perfect to talk about something that happened before something else in the past. We use the past perfect to talk about the earlier event and the simple past to talk about the later event.

I had felt tired all morning but I felt fine after lunch.

We often use when, before or after to emphasise which event happened first.

When I had finished my lunch I went for a walk.

He arrived after the meeting had started.

The meeting had started before she arrived.

We can also use words like yet, already, until or by to emphasise which event happened first.

I arrived at 9am but she had not arrived yet.

I arrived at 10am but he had already arrived.

We did not start the meeting until she had arrived.

By 9pm she had finished the report.

Note: We use the simple past NOT the past perfect to talk about a single action in the past.

I started university last year. (NOT: I had started university last year.)

2. We use the past perfect with reporting verbs like, intend, hope and think to talk about plans that have not been completed.

I had intended to write to you but I forgot your email address. 

I had hoped to see you at the party but you weren’t there.

3. We use the past perfect in indirect speech to report the past simple and the present perfect.

‘I drank all the milk.’ = He said he had drunk all the milk.

‘I’ve passed all my exams!’ = She said she had passed all her exams.

More Common Errors