PAST PERFECT TENSE

Definition of Past Perfect Tense :

Past Perfect Tense is a kind of tense that is used to describe an action or an event that started in a certain time in the past and completed of the finished certain time in the past too : or past perfect tense is used to Express an Action or an event that had happened before that other event or actionhappened.

Formula of verbal sentence :

(+) S + had + verb 3

(- ) S + had + not + verb 3

(? ) had + S + verb 3

Example :

(+) She had put my book on the table last night .

(- ) She had not put my book on the table last night .

(? ) Had she put my book on the table last night ?

Formula of  Nominal Sentence :

(+) S + had + been + non verb 

(- ) S + had + not + been + non verb

(? ) Had + S + been + non verb

Example :

(+) I had been there when the accident happened .

(- ) I had not been there when the accident happened .

(? ) Had I been there when the accident happened ?

NOTE :

I had        = I'd

You had   = You'd

We had    = We'd

They had  = They'd

He had     = He'd

She had    = She'd

It had        = It'd

Use the present perfect tense when:

=) Something happened in the past, and

=) The result of happening is still there.

Examples:

1. I have closed the door. (The result; The door is still closed)

2. Dina has gone to Japan. (The result; Dina is still in Japan)

► The Affirmative Form

Pattern : S + Auxiliary Verb (Have/Has) + past participle + . . .

Examples:

1. He has bought a car here. (He has the car)

2. I lived in Japan (I know Japan)

This tense often uses “for” and “since” especially to express the continuing events (peristiwa yg masih berlanjut).

Examples:

1. I have been here for 15 minutes.

2. I have been here since 9 o’clock

Contraction of ‘s may be confusing sometimes. It can come from the verb be (is) or the auxiliary has. But you can understand it from the context.

The key are:

→ The contraction of ‘s from the auxiliary verb has when it is followed by past participle.

→ The contraction of ‘s from the verb be (is) when it is followed by nouns, adjectives, or V-ing

Examples;

1. She’s borrowed my book. (auxiliary has)

2. She’s listening to music. (verb be)

The present perfect tense often uses adverb “just, ever, never, and already”, especially to express the speaker’s experiences or new information. (Note: never = not ever)

Examples:

+ We have just lived in Japan.

- Kenny has not already finished her homework.

? Has Sonny ever eaten quail eggs?