We use the past perfect tense to describe one action that happened before

another action in the past.

 In many cases a complete sentence is written in two parts with two different
Tenses:-
 The past perfect simple, to refer to the action that happened first or earlier.
 The past simple, to refer to the action that happened second or later.
The action happened in the past and the result was also visible in the past.

Before – after – until – till- by the time – when – since – for – because-
so- that's why

Subject + had + past participle of the main verb

Examples:-
1-After he had lived in China for ten years, he returned back to Italy.
2-My mother was sad because her best friend had died.

3-By the time I arrived to the bank, it had already closed.

4-They had finished their homework before they went to the cinema.
5-I hadn't said anything until (till) she finished talking.
6-The train had already left when we arrived.
7-I hadn't seen my cousins since they flew to the USA.
8-They had known about it for a while.

(Had had) is a verb combination that often causes confusion in the past
perfect simple tense. The first had is the auxiliary (or helping) verb, but the
second had is the v3 or the past participle of the main verb (have).

Example
 She had had enough money to buy a new car but she preferred her old one.
It means that although she had enough money to buy a new car she didn't as she liked her old
one more. It may look strange but it is correct.

Subject + had not (hadn't) + past participle of the main verb

OR
Subject + had never + past participle of the main verb
OR
Subject +hadn't ever + past participle of the main verb

Examples:-
1-I had not visited that restaurant before today.
2-Jacob hadn't had time to finish his research.
3-My family hadn't ever gone to Australia.
4-My sister had never gone to African Park.

1- Yes / No question:-
Had (or hadn't (for negative question)) + subject + past participle?
2- W.H Question
Question word + had + subject + past participle + the complement?

Examples on Yes / No question

1-Had you cleaned up the mess by the time they came home?
2-Had Adam ever spoken to the CEO ( the head of a company) before he was fired?
Examples on W.H question
1-What had they said that made him so angry?
2-Why had she a greed to do that job?
3-How much had they drunk before you arrived?

Past simple→ after → past perfect

Past simple→ Because → past perfect
Past simple (negative form)→ till → past perfect
Past simple (negative form) → until → past perfect
 Past perfect → by the time→ past simple
Past perfect → before → past simple
Past perfect → When → past simple
Past perfect → Since → past simple
Past perfect → for → past simple
past perfect → that's why → Past simple
Past perfect → so→ past simple
OR
By the time→ past simple → Past perfect
Before → past simple → Past perfect
When → past simple → Past perfect
Since → past simple → Past perfect

1-Fill in the correct form of the past perfect simple or past simple tense:-
1-After Meg …………………..….(finish) the washing up, she …………..……. (has) a shower.
2-Bythe time Sally ………………(eat) her lunch, her friends …………………………(phone) her.
3-…………………………………(you know) about the concert before I ………………(tell) you?
4-After Michael …………………..(join) the competition, he ………………….(win) the cup.
5-………………………..……..…….(you/ hear) the news for a while?
6-She ……………………………(meet) him before the party.
7- The plane ……………………….(leave) by the time I…………………….. (go) to the airport.
8- I …………………………….(write) the email before he…………………….. (apologize).
9-The film ……………………………………..(already/ begin) when they …………………….(enter)
the cinema.
8-Until Ann ……………………..(meet) Mark, she ……………………………………(be) in love.
9-Bill ………………………………(smoke) for years before he finally ………………………(quit).
10-How much fish……………………………….…… (the boys /catch) by the time it ………………..
(start) raining?
11-………………….Sara ever …………………..(drive) to London by herself before then?
12-You …………………….……….(forbid them) to go to the beach, hadn't you?
13-The girls……………………………..(exercise) in weeks? That's why they………………… (hurt)
so much afterwards.
14-I ……………………………(worry ) about her before I ……………….. (hear)that she was safe.
15-I didn't like the flat. It ………………..……(be) much smaller than I (think) ………………………
at first.
17-He told his friends that he .........................................(shoot) a large bird before.
18-They ………………………(drink) tea after they …………………………..(eat) dinner.
19-She ……………………………………..(just make) dinner when the door ……………………(open)
and Kim…………………….(enter).
20-After he …………………………(work) for this company for two years, Peter …………………
(decide) to give up the job.
2-Join the sentences using the words in brackets with the correct tenses:-
1-Megan washed the dishes then she took the dog for a walk. (after)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2-We waited for half an hour then the bus arrived. (after)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3-I finished my supper then I went out. (after)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4-She waved goodbye to her mum and then she went to school. (by the time)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5-I got to school, the lessons already started. (before)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6-She finished lunch, her husband came back home. (already / when)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7-Mark's team scored two goals then his dad arrived to the pitch. (before)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
8-Ricky was sad. His best friend moved to another city. (that's why)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
9-Sarah saved some money. She bought a new tablet. (because)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
10-He had a shower then he had his dinner. (till)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
11-I bought a camera then I went for a trip. (before)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3-Fill in the correct form of the past perfect simple or past simple tense:-
1-By the time I ……………….……….(arrive) at the party, John ………………………………………
(already / go) home.
2-You ………………………………(just go out) before Marty ………………………(call).
3-He …………………(come) to school by car because he …………………… (miss) the school bus.
4-After Kim …….……………………(visit) me, we …………………….(go) shopping
5-Harold ……………………………..(know) about it for a while.
6-Jennifer …………………………….(speak) to you about it, had she?
7-…………………….they ……………………..(ever eat) a proper Indian meal when they lived
abroad?
8-He ……………………... (buy) a new car until he ……………………… (sell) his old one.
9-…………………. he ……………….(be) a footballer for a long time before he………………….(join)
Our team?
10-We ……………………………(wait) until the match ………………………… (finish).
11-I……………………………(be) very tired, that's why I ……………………….
(not complete ) the session.
4-Fill in the correct form of the past perfect simple or past simple:-

1-After Loren ………………………… on the alarm, she …………….. the door. (turn on)
2-By the time Simone ………………………….., the police ………………………... (arrive-leave)
3-……………….. you ……………………….. about the contract they signed? (know)
4-After the company …………………….Joe, he began to work on his first project. (hire)
5-…………………….you ……………………..the news before you saw it on TV? (hear)
6-Michael didn’t want to see the movie because he ………………………… the book yet.
(not read)
7-The concert …………………. already ……………….when we ………………… the stadium.
(begin/ enter)
8-Until Anne …………………………Mark, she …………….never ……………….in love. (meet, be)
9-Bill …………………..for years before he finally ……………………. (smoke/ quit)
10-…………………Sara ever ……………………..to London by herself before then? (drive)
11-You …………………………… them to go to the beach, hadn’t you? (forbid)
12-The girls …………………….. in weeks? That’s why they ………………. so much afterwards.
(exercise / hurt)