Past Perfect Simple

USE: We use the past perfect simple for actions or situations that finished before another action, situation or time in the past

AUXILIARY VERB USED TO MAKE QUESTIONS: Had

STRUCTURE: Had + past participle

EXAMPLES 1: Juana had finished the cake before Thomas arrived home.

EXAMPLE 2: Hundreds of people had visited the Mona Lisa in the last 10 years.

ADVERBS OF TIME: before - After - when - already - for - for a long time - for ages - just - never - once - so far - yet - since 2007/ June

Past Perfect Continuous

USE: For an action that started in the past and were still in progress when another action started or something happened.

USE 2: For actions that were in progress in the past and had an effect on a later action.

AUXILIARY VERBS TO MAKE QUESTIONS: had

STRUCTURE: had + been + verb + ING

EXAMPLE 1: Juana had been working on the cake before Thomas arrived.

EXAMPLE 2: She was exhausted because she had been working all day.

ADVERBS OF TIME: All day - night - week -for years - for a long time - ages, since