summary past perfect and progressive definitions and examples
PAST PERFECT
Definition:
An aspect of the verb that designates an action which has been completed before another past action. Also known as the past perfective or the pluperfect. Formed with the auxiliary had and the past participle of a verb, the past perfect indicates a time further back in the past than the present perfect or the simple past tense.
"At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice."
"With his new, heightened feelings, he was overwhelmed by sadness at the way the others had laughed and shouted, playing at war."
"One great source of pleasure to me was that my wife was delighted with the home I had given her amid the prairies of the far west."
Functions of the Past Perfect
"In general, past perfect tenses refer to time earlier than some other past time. But like other so-called past tenses, the past perfect in a subordinate clause may signify hypothesis (something contrary to fact):
If you had told me before now, I could have helped.
If you had been coming tomorrow, you would have met my mother.
The past perfect may also stress perfectiveness or completion:
They waited until I had finished."
Using the Past Perfect in Conditional Clauses
"If the situations are set in the past, the past perfect is used in the conditional clause and a past perfect modal, usually would have, in the main clause:
If we had been there yesterday, we would have seen them. (But we were not there yesterday.)
If he had been given a good mark, he would have told me. (But it seems that he was not.
PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
Definition:
A verb construction (made up of had been + a present participle) that points to an activity or situation that was ongoing in the past. Also known as past perfect continuous.
Examples and Observations:
"He knew that she had been dreaming that night and he knew what her dreams were about."
"For an hour the old man had been
Definition:
An aspect of the verb that designates an action which has been completed before another past action. Also known as the past perfective or the pluperfect. Formed with the auxiliary had and the past participle of a verb, the past perfect indicates a time further back in the past than the present perfect or the simple past tense.
"At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice."
"With his new, heightened feelings, he was overwhelmed by sadness at the way the others had laughed and shouted, playing at war."
"One great source of pleasure to me was that my wife was delighted with the home I had given her amid the prairies of the far west."
Functions of the Past Perfect
"In general, past perfect tenses refer to time earlier than some other past time. But like other so-called past tenses, the past perfect in a subordinate clause may signify hypothesis (something contrary to fact):
If you had told me before now, I could have helped.
If you had been coming tomorrow, you would have met my mother.
The past perfect may also stress perfectiveness or completion:
They waited until I had finished."
Using the Past Perfect in Conditional Clauses
"If the situations are set in the past, the past perfect is used in the conditional clause and a past perfect modal, usually would have, in the main clause:
If we had been there yesterday, we would have seen them. (But we were not there yesterday.)
If he had been given a good mark, he would have told me. (But it seems that he was not.
PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
Definition:
A verb construction (made up of had been + a present participle) that points to an activity or situation that was ongoing in the past. Also known as past perfect continuous.
Examples and Observations:
"He knew that she had been dreaming that night and he knew what her dreams were about."
"For an hour the old man had been