Unit 13: I had done (past perfect)

Past Perfect

My train left at 8:00

I was late, I arrived at 8:10

When I arrived at the station, my train had left

Past perfect = had + past participle

The past perfect is used to show that action 1 happened before action 2.

Past Present

my boss cancelled the meeting —– I didn’t go to the meeting  = 

“I didn’t go to the meeting
because my
boss had cancelled it”

Note again the difference between simple and progressive forms:

present simple: I work in a bank

present progressive: I’m working until five today.

Present perfect (simple) : I’ve worked here for two years

Present perfect (progressive): I’ve been working since 8 O’clock

Past perfect (simple) : At my interview I told them that I had worked in a bank before

Past perfect (progressive): I had been working at the bank for one year when I decided to change jobs