Structure of The Past Perfect Tense Definition | Past Perfect Tense Formation of Positive, Negative, Interrogative sentences with examples in English Grammar.
This article will help the readers learn how to form the past perfect tense with examples and sentences.
Definition of The Past Perfect Tense:
The Past Perfect Tense is an important grammatical structure used to describe actions or events that ended before another past action.
What is Past Perfect Tense?
The Past Perfect Tense describes an action or event that closed before another action or time period in the past. This tense is usually used when two actions are described, one complete and the other incomplete.
The auxiliary verb (Had) and the third form of the verb are used with the work that was completed. If an adverb or conjunction comes in a past sentence, then it is changed into past perfect. The second part of the sentence will be in the past simple.
For Example:
The patient had died before the doctor came.
First part: The patient had died.
This part of the sentence is in past perfect, which shows that an action was completed.
Second part: Before the doctor came.
This part of the sentence shows another action that is shown in the past simple tense.
Structure Of The Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense is structured by the third form of the verb and the auxiliary verb (had) in affirmative sentences, interrogative sentences, and negative sentences.
1. Assertive Sentence Structure of Past Perfect Tense
Past perfect tense Assertive sentences are used to express a complete action that happened before another action in the past.
The past perfect tense structure of an affirmative sentence is given.
Assertive Sentence Formula of Past Perfect Tense:
Past perfect tense formula of an assertive sentence is the following;
Subject + (Helping Verb) had + 3rd form of verb + Object + (Adverb/Conjunction)
This tense is used in a simple sentence if an adverb or conjunction (already, before, or till, etc.) comes. The first part of the sentence will be in past perfect, and the second part will be in past simple tense when two actions are described.
In the formation of affirmative (positive) sentences, the formula is so simple.
Note Points:
There are some important points to form an assertive sentence in the past perfect;
- The auxiliary verb (had) is only used after the subject in this tense.
- “Had” is used for all singular nouns, pronouns (I, He, She, It) and all plural nouns, pronouns (We, You, They) and all singular plural subjects.
- The “third form of the verb” is used after the helping verb, as (“go” becomes “gone”).
- A full stop (.) is used at the end of a sentence to show a positive sentence in the past perfect.
Assertive Sentences Examples of Past Perfect Tense:
There are some past perfect tense examples of assertive sentences exercises;
- He had already gone to Lahore.
(Subject: He, Helping Verb: had, 3rd form of verb: gone, Object: to Lahore, Adverb: already)
- He had reached Lahore before his marriage.
- (Subject: He, Helping Verb: had, 3rd form of verb: reached, Adverb: before, Object: Lahore, his marriage)
- She had gone to school before I reached.
(Subject: She, Helping Verb: had, 3rd form of verb: gone, Adverb: before, Object: to school, 2nd part: I reached)
- The father had reached before I took food.
(Subject: The father, Helping Verb: had, 3rd form of verb: reached, Adverb: before, 2nd part: I took food)
- We had reached the playground before the teacher came.
(Subject: We, Helping Verb: had, 3rd form of verb: reached, Object: the playground, Adverb: before, 2nd part: the teacher came)
- They had already applied for viza.
(Subject: They, Helping Verb: had, 3rd form of verb: applied, Object: for viza, Adverb: already)
- Ali had already eaten food.
(Subject: Ali, Helping Verb: had, 3rd form of verb: eaten, Object: food, Adverb: already)
- You had already written a letter.
(Subject: You, Helping Verb: had, 3rd form of verb: written, Object: a letter, Adverb: already)
- When I reached the home, the rain had stopped.
(Subject: the rain, Helping Verb: had, 3rd form of verb: stopped, Adverb: when, 2nd part: I reached the home)
- We had taken breakfast after they left.
(Subject: We, Helping Verb: had, 3rd form of verb: taken, Object: breakfast, Adverb: after, 2nd part: they left)
- The train had left when I reached the station.
(Subject: The train, Helping Verb: had, 3rd form of verb: left, Adverb: when, 2nd part: I reached the station)
- We had solved the sums before the teacher came.
(Subject: We, Helping Verb: had, 3rd form of verb: solved, Object: the sums, Adverb: before, 2nd part: the teacher came)
These sentences draw attention to a past action that finished before another activity.
2. Interrogative Sentence Structure of Past Perfect Tense
Past perfect tense Interrogative sentences are used to ask questions about an action that was done earlier in the past.
These sentences are composed with the auxiliary verb “had” coming before the subject and the verb’s past participle coming after.
The past perfect tense formation of an interrogative sentence is given.
Interrogative Sentence Formula of Past Perfect Tense:
The formula for the past perfect tense of an interrogative sentence is the following;
(Helping Verb) Had + Subject + 3rd form of verb + Object + (Adverb/Conjunction)
In the formation of interrogative sentences, the formula is very simple.
Note Points:
There are some important points to form an interrogative sentence in the past perfect;
- In interrogative sentence, the auxiliary verb “had” comes before the subject to show a question sentence.
- The “third form of verb” is used after the subject.
- A question mark (?) is placed at the end of a sentence to display the interrogative sentence in the past perfect.
Interrogative Sentences Examples of Past Perfect Tense:
Some examples of interrogative sentences exercises in the past perfect tense are;
- Had he gone home before you came?
(Helping Verb: Had, Subject: he, 3rd form of verb: gone, Object: home, Adverb: before, 2nd part: you came)
- Had they reached school before the bell rang?
(Helping Verb: Had, Subject: they, 3rd form of verb: reached, Object: school, Adverb: before, 2nd part: the bell rang)
- Had he already gone to Lahore?
(Helping Verb: Had, Subject: he, 3rd form of verb: gone, Object: to Lahore, Adverb: already)
- Had they reached Lahore before his marriage?
(Helping Verb: Had, Subject: they, 3rd form of verb: reached, Adverb: before, Object: Lahore, his marriage)
- Had Salma gone to collage before I reached?
(Helping Verb: Had, Subject: Salma, 3rd form of verb: gone, Adverb: before, Object: to collage, 2nd part: I reached)
- Had the father reached before I took food?
(Helping Verb: Had, Subject: the father, 3rd form of verb: reached, Adverb: before, 2nd part: I took food)
- Had the boys reached the playground before the teacher came?
(Helping Verb: Had, Subject: the boys, 3rd form of verb: reached, Object: the playground, Adverb: before, 2nd part: the teacher came)
- Had she already eaten food?
(Helping Verb: Had, Subject: she, 3rd form of verb: eaten, Object: food, Adverb: already)
- Had you already written a letter?
(Helping Verb: Had, Subject: you, 3rd form of verb: written, Object: a letter, Adverb: already)
- Had we taken breakfast after they left?
(Helping Verb: Had, Subject: we, 3rd form of verb: taken, Object: breakfast, Adverb: after, 2nd part: they left)
- Had the train left when I reached the station?
(Helping Verb: Had, Subject: the train, 3rd form of verb: left, Adverb: when, 2nd part: I reached the station)
- Had we solved the sums before the teacher came?
(Helping Verb: Had, Subject: we, 3rd form of verb: solved, Object: the sums, Adverb: before, 2nd part: the teacher came)
These sentences show that questions are used to ask about past activities that were completed at a particular point in the past before another.
3. Negative Sentence Structure of Past Perfect Tense
Past perfect tense Negative sentences are used to show that certain work was not completed in the past before another work.
To make a negative sentence in this tense, just put “not” after the auxiliary verb (had).
The past perfect tense formation of a negative sentence is given.
Negative Sentence Formula of Past Perfect Tense:
The past perfect tense formula for a negative sentence is the following;
Subject + (H.V) had + Not + 3rd form of verb + (Object) + (Adverb/Conjunction)
In the formation of negative sentences, the formula is simple.
Note Points:
There are some important points to form a negative sentence in the past perfect;
- In negative sentences, the helping verb (had) comes after the subject.
- The “3rd form of the verb” is used as positive and interrogative sentences in the past perfect.
- The word “not” is added after the auxiliary verb (had) to show a negative sentence.
- A full stop (.) is placed at the end of a sentence such as a positive sentence in the past perfect.
Negative Sentences Examples of Past Perfect Tense:
Here are some examples of negative sentences exercises in the past perfect tense;
- Zafar had not met me till yesterday.
(Subject: Zafar, Helping Verb: had, Negative: not, 3rd form of verb: met, Conjunction: till, Object: me, yesterday)
- He had not slept before I came.
(Subject: He, Helping Verb: had, Negative: not, 3rd form of verb: slept, Adverb: before, 2nd part: I came)
- They had not gone to school before the Sun rose.
(Subject: They, Helping Verb: had, Negative: not, 3rd form of verb: gone, Object: to school, Adverb: before, 2nd part: the Sun rose)
- He had never got position in the examination.
(Subject: He, Helping Verb: had, Negative [adverb]: never, 3rd form of verb: got, Object: position in the examination)
- I had never seen such a girl before.
(Subject: I, Helping Verb: had, Negative : never, 3rd form of verb: seen, Object: such a girl, Adverb: before)
- He had not already gone to Lahore.
(Subject: He, Helping Verb: had, Negative: not, 3rd form of verb: gone, Object: to Lahore, Adverb: already)
- She had not gone to school before I reached.
(Subject: She, Helping Verb: had, Negative: not, 3rd form of verb: gone, Adverb: before, Object: to school, 2nd part: I reached)
- The mother had not reached before I took food.
(Subject: The mother, Helping Verb: had, Negative: not, 3rd form of verb: reached, Adverb: before, 2nd part: I took food)
- I had not reached the school before the teacher came.
(Subject: I, Helping Verb: had, Negative: not, 3rd form of verb: reached, Object: the school, Adverb: before, 2nd part: the teacher came)
- They had not already applied for job.
(Subject: They, Helping Verb: had, Negative: not, 3rd form of verb: applied, Object: for job, Adverb: already)
- She had not already written a letter.
(Subject: She, Helping Verb: had, Negative: not, 3rd form of verb: written, Object: a letter, Adverb: already)
- The train had not left when we reached the station.
(Subject: The train, Helping Verb: had, Negative: not, 3rd form of verb: left, Adverb: when, 2nd part: we reached the station)
- We had not solved the sums before the teacher came.
(Subject: We, Helping Verb: had, Negative: not, 3rd form of verb: solved, Object: the sums, Adverb: before, 2nd part: the teacher came)
These sentences highlight that an action was not completed at a particular time before another action in the past.
Conclusion:
Understanding the formation of the past perfect tense will enable you to describe past events more accurately and logically. This past tense structure will improve both your writing and speaking clarity. It helps to create affirmative or aggressive sentences, interrogative sentences, and negative sentences in English grammar.Â