Past Perfect

1.- We form the Past Perfect with had and the past participle of a verb (e.g. started, taken):

full and short form

I/you/he/she/it had started or ´d started
We/they

I had taken it. or I´d taken it


2.- Look at this

A year ago:

Jenny is flying to Rome. She thinks, I have never been on a plane before now.

Now:

Jenny flew to Rome last year. she had never been on a plane before that.

When we talk about an event or situation in past time we use the Past Simple (e.g. flew);
if we talk about an event before that time, we use the Past perfect (e.g. had been). Here
is another example:

Last Saturday at the cinema:

Mary: We don't need to queue because I've already bought the tickets.

Now talking about last Saturday

Mary: We didn't need to a queue because I had already bought the tickets.


Note that we can use never and already before the past participle (e.g. been bought).


3.- If we talk a series of past events in order, we use the Past Simple:

A: I saw a beautiful bird in my garden.
B: I went to get my camera.
C: The bird flew away
D: I returned with my camera

A B C D
-------------> now

We need the Past Perfect to talk make it clear that one use of the events is not in order:

D: I returned with my camera.
C: The bird had already flown away.
(The bird had gone before I returned.)

Also, compare these sentences using when:

Past Simple: When I returned with my camera, the bird flew away.

( It went after I returned.)

Past Perfect: When I returned with my camera, the bird had flown away.

( It went before I returned.)

4.- The Past Perfect is used in reported speech:

I have suffered from asthma for many years. She told the doctor that she had suffered
from asthma for many years.