Past Perfect

Past Perfect wird normalerweise verwendet, wenn die Handlung zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt in der Vergangenheit, der durch eine zweite Handlung im Präteritum oder durch Angaben wie by that time angegeben wird, schon abgeschlossen war oder über diesen Zeitpunkt hinaus andauerte. Außerdem verwendet man Past Perfect in manchen If–clauses.

 
1. Statements (Bildung: had + past participle)

After he had read Othello, he watched the film.
Max watched the film last Monday. By that time he had read the book.
By March 2004 they had lived in Vienna for thirty years.
If she had taken part in the race, she would have won.

 
2. Negation

Since she had not read the book, she didn’t know anything about it.

 
3. Asking questions

Why had he (not) read the book?
Why hadn’t he read the book?