1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:06,719 I came late today because I had forgotten my train ticket at home, so 2 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:11,919 I went back home and by the time I got there, it had started 3 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:17,879 raining. What a morning. If I had known it was going to rain, 4 00:00:18,359 --> 00:00:28,519 I would have stayed home. Let's discuss Welcome to another Happy English podcast, 5 00:00:28,719 --> 00:00:32,679 coming to you from New York City, and here's your English teacher, 6 00:00:33,079 --> 00:00:39,399 Michael. All right, thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael 7 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:46,320 here from Happy English and I help people speak English better. And this is 8 00:00:46,359 --> 00:00:55,079 Happy English Podcast, Episode six eighty two. Past perfect tense verb tenses can 9 00:00:55,119 --> 00:00:59,679 be tricky to learn, hard to use, and a pain in the neck 10 00:00:59,719 --> 00:01:06,560 to remember. The past perfect tense is no exception for today's English lesson. 11 00:01:07,079 --> 00:01:14,040 Let's look at three ways we use the past perfect tense. First of all, 12 00:01:14,439 --> 00:01:19,959 the past perfect tense is formed with had followed by a past participle verb. 13 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:27,280 You can say things like had eaten, had gone, had stopped, 14 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:36,319 and so on. That's the grammar pattern. Now let's talk about the usage. 15 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:42,719 We use the past perfect tense to talk about two past actions or events. 16 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:51,200 Two things happened in the past. Use the past perfect tense to mention 17 00:01:51,319 --> 00:01:57,480 what came first, and then use the simple past to mention the second thing. 18 00:01:57,079 --> 00:02:01,959 Let's look at an example. By the time Mark arrived at the meeting, 19 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:08,919 the team had already discussed the project. By the time Mark arrived at 20 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:16,039 the meeting, the team had already discussed the project. So there are two 21 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:23,000 events in the past. The first event was the team discussed the project. 22 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:30,000 After that happened Mark arrived at the meeting. It seems like Mark came late 23 00:02:30,199 --> 00:02:36,680 to the meeting because by the time Mark arrived at the meeting, the team 24 00:02:36,759 --> 00:02:43,960 had already discussed the project. We use the past perfect to introduce the first 25 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:51,639 event the team had already discussed the project, and the simple past to talk 26 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:59,360 about the second event, Mark arrived at the meeting. So altogether, by 27 00:02:59,439 --> 00:03:06,680 the time Mark arrived at the meeting, the team had already discussed the project. 28 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,520 Here are some other examples. Linda couldn't enter the building because she had 29 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:15,840 forgotten her access card at home. When the guests arrived, the chef had 30 00:03:15,879 --> 00:03:19,879 already prepared a delicious meal. By the time I left the office, the 31 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:25,960 thunderstorm had passed. We also used the past perfect tense when we express regrets 32 00:03:27,319 --> 00:03:32,280 or wishes about the past. For example, I wish I had known about 33 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:37,520 the training event, I would have attended it. The sales team wish they 34 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:42,120 had prepared a better presentation for the meeting with the client. Donna felt bad 35 00:03:42,159 --> 00:03:46,199 that she hadn't called her grandfather on his birthday. In a similar way, 36 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:53,919 we used the past perfect tense with if or wish when we talk about imaginary 37 00:03:53,280 --> 00:04:00,840 or hypothetical situations in the past. Here are some examples. If I had 38 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,599 studied for the exam, I would have gotten a better grade. I really 39 00:04:03,639 --> 00:04:08,280 wish I had studied. I wish she had told me she had a boyfriend. 40 00:04:08,599 --> 00:04:10,960 If you had asked me for help, I would have come over. 41 00:04:11,599 --> 00:04:15,839 Keep in mind, the best way to remember this grammar, and any grammar 42 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:21,439 or vocabulary is to take the word or phrase, write it in a sentence 43 00:04:21,519 --> 00:04:28,439 that's true for you or true in your world, and then memorize your sentences. 44 00:04:29,079 --> 00:04:34,160 Well that's it for this English lesson podcast. I think I had already 45 00:04:34,199 --> 00:04:39,920 known that. By the way, if you'd like to get more practice using 46 00:04:39,959 --> 00:04:45,800 your English, why don't you join my podcast Learners study group. There you 47 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:50,720 can make new international friends. Join me for live group coaching every week. 48 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:59,079 Plus get the pdf transcript and audio download for every Happy English podcast in the 49 00:04:59,079 --> 00:05:05,839 past and in the future, and each episode has exercises where you can practice 50 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:12,480 this English point with speaking and writing checked by me. To learn more or 51 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:16,439 to see some of the example sentences from this lesson, just visit my Happy 52 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:24,160 English dot com and choose podcast lesson six eighty two. Remember, learning another 53 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:28,879 language is not easy, but it's not impossible, and I'm here to help 54 00:05:28,959 --> 00:05:33,199 you on your journey. This podcast is brought to you by Happy English. 55 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:40,240 Please visit my Happy English dot com show your support for Happy English by leaving 56 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:56,759 us a review. Get English, Get Happy, Happy English.