Past Perfect

Прошедшее совершенное время (the Past Perfect) образуется с помощью вспомогательного глагола to have в the Past Simple (had) и причастия II смыслового глагола.

I had seen it.

She had done it.

They had arrived.

Вспомогательный глагол had используется при образовании отрицательной и вопросительной форм.

Had you seen it?

She hadn't done it.

The Past Perfect употребляется:

1. Для выражения действия, которое закончилось до определенного момента в прошлом.

Этот момент может быть обозначен обстоятельством прошедшего времени или другим действием в прошлом.

Matilda had finished reading the book by 9 o'clock (by that time, by Saturday).

Yuri had done the work by the time his parents returned.

They had finished the project by the end of the year.

2. С глаголами, не имеющими формы продолженного времени, для выражения действия, которое началось до определенного момента в прошлом и все еще было в процессе в этот момент.

Не told me he had been badly ill since he returned from the South.

I knew that they hadn't seen each other for many years.

He realized he had been in love with her for a long time.

They had owned the house for twenty years when they decided to sell it.

3. Для выражения двух прошедших действий одно из которых находится в процессе, а второе завершилось к началу первого действия.

The sky had cleared and the moon was shining on the snow.

Rita had done the work and was speaking он the telephone.

4. В сложноподчиненных предложениях с придаточными времени, вводимыми союзами scarcely... when, hardly... when, no sooner... than («не успел... как»; «едва... как»).

Hardly had the children got out of the house, when they saw a stranger in the yard.

No sooner had Mary entered the garden, than she saw a beautiful bird.

Scarcely had the spy left the pub, when the policemen caught him.

Прошедшее совершенное продолженное время