Past Perfect
The past perfect is used to make it clear that one event happened before another in the past.
e.g. In episode 91 of the flatmates, Tim says:"But when you interviewed me the other week you really seemed to think that I had stolen the watches."Tim is talking about 2 events which both happened in the past: the police interview, and the theft of the watches. Because the theft of the watches happened before the police interview, Tim uses the past perfect: 'I had stolen'.It does not matter which event is mentioned first - the tense makes it clear which one happened first. Tim could have said:"But you really seemed to think that I had stolen the watches when you interviewed me the other week."
e.g. In episode 91 of the flatmates, Tim says:"But when you interviewed me the other week you really seemed to think that I had stolen the watches."Tim is talking about 2 events which both happened in the past: the police interview, and the theft of the watches. Because the theft of the watches happened before the police interview, Tim uses the past perfect: 'I had stolen'.It does not matter which event is mentioned first - the tense makes it clear which one happened first. Tim could have said:"But you really seemed to think that I had stolen the watches when you interviewed me the other week."
Adverbs with the past perfect: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc. can be used with the past perfect. They are usually placed between 'had' and the past participle.
e.g. The train had just left when I arrived at the station.
She had just left the room when the teacher arrived.
She had only met her husband once when she married him.
Marco had never needed to speak English until he moved to New York.
e.g. The train had just left when I arrived at the station.
She had just left the room when the teacher arrived.
She had only met her husband once when she married him.
Marco had never needed to speak English until he moved to New York.
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