THE past Perfect tense

(THE PAST PERFECT SIMPLE)

FORMATION

The forms of the Past Perfect are analytical. They are built by means of the past indefinite of the auxiliary verb have (had) and participle II of the notional verb.

Affirmative	Interrogative
I had left He, she, it had left We had left You had left They had left	Had I left? Had he, she, it left? Had we left? Had you left? Had they left?
Negative	Negative-Interrogative
I had not (hadn’t) left He, she, it had not (hadn’t) left We had not (hadn’t) left You had not (hadn’t) left They had not (hadn’t) left	Had I not (Hadn’t I) left? Had he, she, it not (Hadn’t he, she, it) left? Had we not (Hadn’t we) left? Had you not (Hadn’t you) left? Had they not (Hadn’t they) left?

THE USE OF THE PAST PERFECT TENSE

1. The Past Perfect is used to denote an action prior to or completed before a certain moment in the past. This moment may be indicated by an adverbial phrase or by another past action expressed by a verb in the Past Indefinite or it may be understood from the situation:

By this time we had discussed all the points of the plan.

When we came everybody had already left.

She had stopped eating and was sitting silently.

2. The Past Perfect can denote an action that began before a certain moment in the past and continued up to that moment or into it. The starting point of the action may be indicated by the preposition since and the period of duration may be indicated by the preposition for. The Past Perfect denotes actions in progress with the verbs, which do not admit of the continuous form, with non-terminative verbs, and in negative sentences:

He had been asleep for some time when a sudden noise awoke him.

He had learned English for several years and he spoke fluently.

He was tired though he hadn't done anything since morning.

3. In complex sentences with the adverbial clauses of time introduced by the conjunctions until, before, after, when the Past Perfect can be used both in the principal and subordinate clauses. The Past Indefinite in both clauses denotes a succession of actions, while the Past Perfect in one of the clauses emphasizes the completion of the action rather than its priority:

Mary left when we came (We came and Mary left).

Mary had left when we came (Mary wasn't there when we came).

We didn't ask questions until the speaker had finished his report.

He left before I had said anything.

The verbs of sense perception are usually used in the Past Indefinite as in this case actions are practically simultaneous:

When he saw me he stopped.

If the conjunctions when and than are correlated with adverbs scarcely, hardly, no sooner in the principal clause, the word order in the principal clause can be inverted and the use of the Past Perfect is obligatory:

No sooner had he noticed us than he hurried away.

We had hardly left the house when it started raining.

Her head had scarcely touched the pillow when she was already sleeping.

The Past Perfect can be rendered into Russian by the past tense perfective and imperfective.

He had discovered some very strange facts. - Он обнаружил несколько очень странных фактов.

Не had looked at me silently for some time. - Некоторое время он молча смотрел на меня.

THE PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

(THE PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE)

FORMATION

The forms of the Past Perfect Continuous are analytical. They are built by means of the Past Perfect form of the verb be (had been) and participle I of the notional verb.

Affirmative	Interrogative
I had been reading He, she, it had been reading We had been reading You had been reading They had been reading	Had I been reading? Had he, she, it been reading? Had we been reading? Had you been reading? Had they been reading?
Negative	Negative-Interrogative
I had not (hadn’t) been reading He, she, it had not (hadn’t) been reading We had not (hadn’t) been reading You had not (hadn’t) been reading They had not (hadn’t) been reading	Had I not (Hadn’t I) been reading? Had he, she, it not (Hadn’t he) been reading? Had we not (Hadn’t we) been reading? Had you not (Hadn’t you) been reading? Had they not (Hadn’t they) been reading?