Simple Past Perfect and Past Perfect Progressive

The past perfect simple expresses an action taking place before a certain time in the past.
Form of Past Perfect Simple

	Positive	Negative	Question
no differences	I had spoken.	I had not spoken.	Had I spoken?

For irregular verbs, use the past participle form (see list of irregular verbs, 3rd column). For regular verbs, just add ed.
Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ed

Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ed	Example
after final e, only add d	love – loved
final consonant after a short, stressed vowel or l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled	admit – admitted travel – travelled
final y after a consonant becomes i	hurry – hurried

Use of Past Perfect

• action taking place before a certain time in the past
  (putting emphasis only on the fact, not the duration)

Example: Before I came here, I had spoken to Jack.

• Conditional Sentences Type III (condition that was not given in the past)

Example: If I had seen him, I would have talked to him.
Signal Words

• already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day (with reference to the past, not the present)
  
• If-Satz Typ III (If I had talked, …)

The past perfect progressive puts emphasis on the course or duration of an action taking place before a certain time in the past.
Form

• A: He had been talking.
  
• N: He had not been talking.
  
• Q: Had he been talking?

Use

• action taking place before a certain time in the past
  
• sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple
  
• puts emphasis on the course or duration of an action

signal words

• for, since, the whole day, all day

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