Past perfect tense

The past perfect tense is always used to show that some action or event had been completed before another began.

It always indicates the priority on time of one event to another; hence it should be used only when it is intended to show that one event took place before another.

E.g.

* I had finished my work before he came to see me.
* The train had departed before I arrived at the station.
* The sun had set when reached home.

It should be also noted that the past perfect should not be used in the place of simple past;

E.g.

He came (not had come) here yesterday.

Rule:- subject + had + past participle of roof verb

Examples:

* I had read the directions before I filled in the application form.
* We had thought over for long before we chose this course of study.
* You had left before we returned home.
* He had saved a good deal of money before he settled his daughter’s marriage.
* She had prepared well before she appeared in the examination.
* It had rained heavily before the cricket match began.
* They had returned home before the cyclone came.
* Dick had paid the bill before his phone was disconnected.
* The doctor had investigated the patient before he performed surgery.
* The thief had run away before the police arrived.
* Mary had rehearsed before she sang in the competition.
* John had read all the instructions before he solved the question paper.
* Our team had practiced well before we won the match.
* The captain had won the toss before he elected to bat first.
* All the children had gathered at the school before they left for the picnic by bus.