Past Perfect Perfectly Easy: B1-level English Grammar (ESL)

This lesson is very basic - for A2 and B1 learners. B2 learners might want to move on to the next video. However, I believe it is always helpful to review material you've already learned. You might learn something new! What's more, the grammar terms introduced in this video will be useful in future past perfect videos.

In this lesson, you will:

• learn how to form the past perfect tense step by step, using the helping verb “had” plus the past participle of the main verb.

• review the difference between regular and irregular verbs with simple examples.

Before you watch:

• Check the meaning of the grammar terms on the List of Grammar Terms. Don't worry if you are unsure about some terms. They will also be explained in the video.

After you watch the video:

• Take the Grammar Terms Quiz.

By the end of the video, you will:

• know how to form correct past perfect sentences.

• better understand important grammar terms.

• be ready to practice forming the past perfect in the next video (PRACTICE forming the past perfect)

This video includes clear examples, guided exercises, and practice with contracted forms like I'd and they’d. We'll also complete a quiz together to identify past perfect sentences.

In this lesson, you will:

• practice turning simple past sentences into past perfect sentences

• work with both regular and irregular verbs.

• learn to recognize and use the correct third form of the verb.

Before you begin:

• look at the wordlist for this video and check any unknown words. There is no pre-video word quiz for Lesson 1.2.

After you've watched Lesson 1.2:

• do the worksheet (Assignment 1)  and check your answers using the answer key.

• do the interactive assignments (short fun videos) that help you practice the third form, contractions, and questions.

By the end of this lesson, you will:

• be more confident in forming past perfect sentences correctly.

• learn how to make past perfect contractions and past perfect questions.

Description:
In this lesson, we'll learn when and how to use the past perfect tense with action verbs. In the last lesson, we studied how to form the past perfect (with had + past participle). Now we'll focus on how it is used in storytelling, also called the narrative tense.

Students will learn:

• The difference between the earlier action and the later action in the past.

• How the past perfect shows that one action was finished before another began.

• Why the past perfect is useful when we change the order of events in a story.

• How to see the difference between the past perfect and the past simple in examples.

Before watching the video:

• Check the meaning of any unknown words.

• Take the vocabulary quiz first to check your understanding. If you're still unsure, you can take the quiz again after you have watched the video.

By the end of the lesson, students will know:

• How to use the past perfect with action verbs to show time order and completion in past events.

Practice the Past Perfect! Two-Sentence Stories

In this lesson, we will practice how to use the past perfect together in clear and simple exercises.

In Lesson 2.2, you will:

• Practice using the past perfect tense to show the order of events in the past.

• Decide which event happened first and which event happened second in short two-sentence stories.

• Make your own two-sentence stories using times of day. You will write the later event first and use the past perfect to show what happened before it.

By the end of the lesson you will:

• Understand how the past perfect shows which event happened first.

• Be able to compare past simple and past perfect sentences in short stories.

• Practice writing your own sentences with the past perfect.

Lesson 2.3: Using the Past Perfect with State Verbs

In this video, you’ll learn how to use the past perfect tense with state verbs—verbs that describe thoughts, feelings, conditions, senses, and belonging. Unlike action verbs, state verbs often overlap with later events rather than finishing before them, and understanding this difference is key to mastering past perfect usage.

In Lesson 2.3, you will learn:

• What state verbs are and how they differ from action verbs.

• How the past perfect works with states, which may continue during or after another past event.

• Clear, real-life examples showing the differences between state and action verbs in the past perfect.

Before watching the video

• Check the meaning of any unknown words on the wordlist.

• Take the Vocabulary Quiz to test your knowledge before you watch the video.

By the end of this video, you’ll:

• Be able to confidently recognize and use the past perfect with state verbs.

• Gain a deeper understanding of how timing works in English.

Practice exercises are included in the accompanying materials to reinforce your learning.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

In this Lesson 2.4, we'll go much deeper than most English courses ever do into how the past perfect -- especially with state verbs -- makes your stories clearer and more engaging.

This lesson is called "Extra!" because the material is not essential for B1 or B2 learners. The lesson is designed for ambitious learners seeking a high C1 or C2 level of language proficiency and planning to take advanced English exams, such as the IELTS, Cambridge CAE or CPE, the TOEFL, or the SAT. Understanding the full depth and nuance (multiple layers of meaning) of the past perfect is essential for high-level mastery of English.

All that said, this lesson is still simple enough for B1 learners to follow! In fact, I hope B1 learners will have fun getting a taste of the expressive power of the past perfect and will be better prepared to continue their English language studies.

You’ll see how the past perfect tense can:

• Hint at a backstory (what happened earlier) or a later development (what might happen next).

• Add mystery or build suspense.

• Create a feeling of long ago.

Through lots and lots of guided practice, you’ll gain confidence using the past perfect with state verbs and understand how it can add depth and curiosity to storytelling.

What’s Coming Next (Fall 2025)

• Congratulations on completing Course One: Foundations – you’ve learned how to form and use the past perfect to add depth to your stories.

• Course Two: Sentence Combining & Adverbs

  • Combine past simple + past perfect sentences

  • Master adverbs like already, yet

  • Learn key phrases (by the time, as soon as)

• Course Three: Past Perfect in a Series

  • Explore backstories and longer narratives

  • See the past perfect in action with a short animated film

• Course Four: Advanced Storytelling

  • Move toward B2–C1 level mastery

  • Learn from real-life literary examples

  • Practice storytelling for exams (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge, SAT)

  • Step-by-step guide for Cambridge B2 storytelling prompt

• Launching October–November 2025