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Past Perfect Tense

Definition

The past perfect describes the order of two past actions. The past perfect is used for the “more past” action.

Example

I had downloaded the software when a colleague came to my office.

Explanation

The past perfect tense —

• takes the form had + past participle.
• expresses the “more past” of two past actions.
• uses “when”, “already”, and “after” as time expressions.
• is used in reported speech.

Related Topics

• Present Perfect Tense
• Simple Past Tense