12.3: The past perfect
- Page ID
- 415697
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)The Past Perfect
The past perfect tense is used for actions that had been completed in the recent past before other events. In English we use the helping verb had. In Spanish we use haber in the imperfect tense. The verb haber explains who had completed the action. Usually actions in the past perfect happened further in the past than the present perfect.
The imperfect tense conjugations for haber are
había habíamos
habías habíais
había habían
Just like the present perfect, the past perfect is a compound tense because it has two parts: the helping verb haber and a past participle. The past participle is used to describe which action had occurred. Here are some examples of the past perfect.
I had studied. We had studied. Había estudiado. Habíamos estudiado.
You (fam., s.) had danced. You (fam., pl.) had danced. Habías bailado. Habíais bailado.
He/she/you (form., s.) had written. They/you (form., pl.) had written. Había escrito. Habían escrito.
Remember that the H is silent but must be included in the written form.
The irregular past participles in the present perfect are the same as the irregulars in the past perfect. What do you think of reusing something you have already learned?
The past perfect is a good way to explain or describe events that happened before other events took place in the past. For example
We had learned the present perfect before the past perfect. Habíamos aprendido el presente perfecto antes del pluscuamperfecto.
So, let's practice our second perfect tense.
Prácticas.
A. Conjugate the following verbs in the past perfect. Be careful, one requires written accent marks and another is irregular.
bailar leer decir
B. Conjugate each of the verbs in the past perfect in the indicated form.
1. bailar (la profesora)
2. comer (yo)
3. cantar (tú)
4. beber (la chica)
5. explicar (la profesora)
6. tocar (tú)
7. jugar (Uds.)
8. correr (Ud.)
9. caminar (nosotros)
10. comprender (ustedes)
11. cocinar (tú)
12. patinar (la atleta)
13. entender (yo)
14. alegrarse (mis amigos)
15. ir (la familia)
16. morir (la planta)
17. prepararse (el chico)
18. romper (tú)
19. volver (usted)
20. escribir (yo)
C. Translate each sentence into Spanish.
1. She had studied.
2. He had washed the dishes.
3. I had run.
4. They had danced.
5. We had played soccer.
6. You (form., plural) had used the computer.
7. I had cleaned the house.
8. They had done their homework.
9. We had gone.
10. She had said.
11. You (fam.) had written.
12. They had eaten.
13. The dog had slept.
14. My friends had arrived.
15. We had prepared ourselves.
D. La música. The songs He Llorado by Juan Magán uses the present perfect to explain a man’s sadness about losing love. Listen to the song a couple of times and then write the verbs that you hear in the present perfect. Then, change the verbs you have written in the present perfect to the past perfect.
E. How is the past perfect different than the present perfect? Which tense is easier for you to conjugate? Pick five verbs and write five sentences in the present perfect. Then, rewrite them in the past perfect.