There are 9 parts of speech or word classes in English language:
– nouns
– pronouns
– determiners
– verbs
– prepositions
– adjectives
– adverbs
– conjunctions
– interjections

Tense is a variation in the form of English verbs based on:
– the subject of the sentence
– time
– context of actions/events

Examples (variations based on time):
– I eat fried rice every day.
– I ate fried rice this morning.
– I will eat fried rice tomorrow.
– I am eating fried rice now.
– I have just eaten fried rice.
– I have been eating fried rice this whole week.

Examples (variations based on subject):
– I eat fried rice every day.
– He eats fried rice every day.
– She eats fried rice every day.
– My cat eats fried rice every day.
– You eat fried rice every day.
– We eat fried rice every day.
– They eat fried rice every day.

1. An action that happened before another action in the past.
– The train had left when we arrived this morning.
– We had started the meeting when he came.
– I had saved my document when the computer crashed.

2.An action that happened before a particular point in the past.
– She had established her company before 2008.
– He had never played football until last week.
– I had fallen asleep before eight o’clock last night.

There are 5 verb forms:
– base form
– past simple form
– past participle form
– -ing form (present participle form)
– -s form

In Past Perfect, we use these forms:
– past participle

We DO NOT use these forms in Past Perfect:
– base forms
– -s forms
– past simple
– -ing forms

Positive Sentences

I + had + past participle
-> I had eaten breakfast.
You + had + past participle
-> You had eaten breakfast.
We + had + past participle
-> We had eaten breakfast.
They + had + past participle
-> They had eaten breakfast.

He + had + past participle
-> He had eaten breakfast.
She + had + past participle
-> She had eaten breakfast.
It + had + past participle
-> My cat had eaten breakfast.

Negative Sentences

I + had not + past participle
-> I hadn’t eaten breakfast.
You + had not + past participle
-> You hadn’t eaten breakfast.
We + had not+ past participle
-> We hadn’t eaten breakfast.
They + had not + past participle
-> They hadn’t eaten breakfast.

He + had not + past participle
-> He hadn’t eaten breakfast.
She + had not + past participle
-> She hadn’t eaten breakfast.
It + had not+ past participle
-> My cat hadn’t eaten breakfast.

Yes/No Questions

Had + I + past participle
-> Had I eaten breakfast?
Yes, you had. / No, you hadn’t
Had + You + past participle
-> Had you eaten breakfast?
Yes, I had. / No, I hadn’t
Had + We + past participle
-> Had we eaten breakfast?
Yes, we had. / No, we hadn’t
Had + They + past participle
-> Had they eaten breakfast?
Yes, they had. / No, they hadn’t

Had + He + past participle
-> Had he eaten breakfast?
Yes, he had. / No, he hadn’t
Had + She + past participle
-> Had she eaten breakfast?
Yes, she had. / No, she hadn’t
Had + It + past participle
-> Had my cat eaten breakfast?
Yes, it had. / No, it hadn’t

Questions with Question Words (QW)

QW + Had + I + past participle
-> What had I done?
QW + Had + You + past participle
-> Where had you gone?
QW + Had + We + past participle
-> What had we forgotten?
QW + Had + They + past participle
-> What had they eaten?

QW + Had + He + past participle
-> What had he done?
QW + Had + She + past participle
-> Where had she gone?
QW + Had + It + past participle
-> What had your cat eaten?

1. Facts that started in the past and were still true at one point in the past. (descriptions, professions)
– I had been a student of this university for 2 years when the
government closed it last year.

2. Facts that started in the past and were still true at one point in the past. (characteristics, conditions, emotions, qualities)
– I had been sick for a week when I heard the news yesterday.

3. Facts that started in the past and were still true at one point in the past. (locations)
– They had been outside for 2 hours when the manager saw them
this morning.

All professions are nouns:
– student
– teacher
– doctor
– father
– mother
– friends
– cousin
– etc.

Characteristics, conditions, emotions, qualities are described by adjectives:
– tall / short
– happy / sad fast / slow
– beautiful / ugly/ wonderful / terrible
– old / young / new / cheap / expensive
– kind / laid back / ambitious / passionate
– etc.

Locations are described by adverbs of place:
– here
– there
– home
– inside / outside
– upstairs / downstairs
– etc.

Positive Sentences

1. Subject + had been + Noun
2. Subject + had been + Adjective
3. Subject + had been + Adverb of Place

I + had been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> I’d been a teacher.
You + had been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> You’d been brave.
We + had been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> We’d been here.
They + had been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> They’d been doctors.

He + had been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> He’d been a driver.
She + had been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> She’d been strong.
It + had been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> My cat had been outside.

Negative Sentences

1. Subject + had not been + Noun
2. Subject + had not been + Adjective
3. Subject + had not been + Adverb of Place

I + had not been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> I hadn’t been a teacher.
You + had not been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> You hadn’t been serious.
We + had not been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> We hadn’t been there.
They + had not been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> They hadn’t been doctors.

He + had not been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> He hadn’t been a driver.
She + had not been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> She hadn’t been late.
It + had not been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> My cat hadn’t been outside.

Yes/No Questions

1. Had + Subject + been + Noun
2. Had + Subject + been + Adjective
3. Had + Subject + been + Adverb of Place

Had + I + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> Had I been a teacher?
Had + You + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> Had you been sick?
Had + We + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> Had we been there?
Had + They + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> Had they been doctors?

Had + He + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> Had he been a driver?
Had + She + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> Had she been rude?
Had + It + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> Had your cat been outside?

Questions with Question Words (QW)

1. QW + Had + Subject + been + Noun
2. QW + Had + Subject + been + Adjective
3. QW + Had + Subject + been + Adverb of Place

QW + Had + I + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> How long had I been a teacher?
QW + Had + You + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> How long had you been sick?
QW + Had + We + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> How long had we been here?
QW + Had + They + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> How long had they been there?

QW + Had + He + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> How long had he been sick?
QW + Had + She + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> How long had she been there?
QW + Had + It + been + Noun/Adj/Adv
-> How long had your cat been sick?