2ème Année Bac BIOF english

Past Perfect

Grammar 3: Past Perfect 

If you’re studying for your 2ème Année Bac in Morocco, you’ll definitely need to know the Past Perfect tense. It’s used to talk about an action that was completed **before another action or time in the past**—often called the “past before the past.”

How to Form the Past Perfect

Structure: had + past participle

  • I had finished my homework.
  • She had left before I arrived.
  • They had never seen snow until last winter.

✅ Remember: “Had” is the same for all subjects (I, you, he, we, they…).

When to Use the Past Perfect

  1. To show which action happened first when two past actions are mentioned:
    → By the time we got to the cinema, the film had already started.
  2. With time expressions like: by the time, before, after, already, just, never, until:
    → He had just eaten when she called.
    → They had never visited Rabat before 2024.
  3. In reported speech (when the original sentence is in Present Perfect or Past Simple):
    → “I have lost my keys,” she said.
    → She said she had lost her keys.

Past Perfect vs. Past Simple – Don’t Confuse Them!

Use Past Simple for the later action, and Past Perfect for the earlier one:

  • After I had studied (earlier), I went to bed (later). ✅
  • When she arrived, we had cooked dinner. ✅

❌ Never use Past Perfect alone—it only makes sense when there’s a second past reference point.

Quick Practice (Bac Exam Style)

Complete the sentences with the correct form:

  1. By 8 p.m., they ______ (finish) the project.
  2. She was sad because she ______ (fail) the test.
  3. After he ______ (read) the letter, he called his mother.

✅ Answers: 1. had finished 2. had failed 3. had read

Final Tips for Bac Students

  • Look for signal words like already, just, before, after, by the time—they often indicate Past Perfect.
  • Always ask: “Which action happened FIRST?” That’s the one in Past Perfect.
  • Practice with past Bac writing prompts—many require storytelling with multiple past events!

Once you get the logic, the Past Perfect becomes easy! Keep practicing, and you’ll use it confidently on exam day.