Прошедшее совершенное время (the Past Perfect) образуется с помощью вспомогательного глагола to have в the Past Simple (had) и причастия II смыслового глагола.
I had seen it.
She had done it.
They had arrived.
Вспомогательный глагол had используется при образовании отрицательной и вопросительной форм.
Had you seen it?
She hadn't done it.
The Past Perfect употребляется:
1. Для выражения действия, которое закончилось до определенного момента в прошлом.
Этот момент может быть обозначен обстоятельством прошедшего времени или другим действием в прошлом.
Matilda had finished reading the book by 9 o'clock (by that time, by Saturday).
Yuri had done the work by the time his parents returned.
They had finished the project by the end of the year.
2. С глаголами, не имеющими формы продолженного времени, для выражения действия, которое началось до определенного момента в прошлом и все еще было в процессе в этот момент.
Не told me he had been badly ill since he returned from the South.
I knew that they hadn't seen each other for many years.
He realized he had been in love with her for a long time.
They had owned the house for twenty years when they decided to sell it.
3. Для выражения двух прошедших действий одно из которых находится в процессе, а второе завершилось к началу первого действия.
The sky had cleared and the moon was shining on the snow.
Rita had done the work and was speaking он the telephone.
4. В сложноподчиненных предложениях с придаточными времени, вводимыми союзами scarcely... when, hardly... when, no sooner... than («не успел... как»; «едва... как»).
Hardly had the children got out of the house, when they saw a stranger in the yard.
No sooner had Mary entered the garden, than she saw a beautiful bird.
Scarcely had the spy left the pub, when the policemen caught him.
Прошедшее совершенное продолженное время