Past Perfect Tense Sentences | 50 Examples

The Past Perfect Tense expresses an event that occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past. This tense is generally used in reported speech, third conditional sentences, or to show dissatisfaction with the past.

Read also: Verb Tenses with Examples

Past Perfect Tense Sentences

Affirmative Sentences

1. Steve knew Singapore so well because he had visited the city several times.
2. Alice understood the movie because she had read the book.
3. He had finished his homework before he went to play football.
4. If we had gone by taxi instead of a bus, we wouldn’t have been late.
5. If John had studied harder, he would have passed the exam.
6. Mary said she had already seen this film.
7. Alice asked if I had read Harry Potter.
8. I wish I had saved more money when I was young.
9. He wished he had traveled when he was young.
10. He had gone home before I came.
11. She had cooked food before the kids came.
12. If only I had taken more food. I’m hungry now.
13. My wife had already cooked dinner when I reached home yesterday.
14. He had broken his leg last week.
15. When they got home yesterday, she had already cleaned the house.
16. They had agreed on the agenda before the meeting ended.
17. She had accepted my invitation.
18. Alan had learned French until the last month.
19. He had toured Rome before the end of the holiday.
20. The patient had taken medicine before the doctor came.
21. I asked her what places she had visited in Europe.
22. We had left the town before the sun rose.
23. The bus had stopped before we stepped out.
24. The washerman had pressed the clothes before the customer came.
25. She had already sung a song.
26. My son had already gone to school before I came home.
27. The police had disbursed the mob.
28. My friend had posted a letter of congratulation before I met him.
29. All the candidates had entered the examination hall before the exam began.
30. The boss had already turned down my request.
31. I had left the park before noon.
32. The plane had taken off before the passengers arrived at the airport.
33. He had already finished the work by last night.

Negative Sentences

1. We had not heard this news till yesterday.
2. I had not sold my property before 2015.
3. People had not seen such a strange animal before.
4. I had never been to an opera before last night.
5. I had never seen such a beautiful town before I came here.
6. Bob had not painted the window before the rain started.
7. Amjad had not learned the lesson until yesterday.
8. Tom had not been to Paris before the last summer.
9. You had not informed me of the decision until today.
10. The match had not finished when I switched on the TV.
11. They had not come to any conclusion before the meeting ended.
12. I had not reached my destination before the storm came.

Questions

1. Had he completed the assignment by last week?
2. Had he read the novel by last night?
3. She was sad. What had she lost?
4. Had they been married for 10 years when they divorced?
5. What had you done to protect your house before the burglar broke into the house?

Pin