过去完成时表示在过去某一时间或动作之前已经发生或完成了的动作。它表示句子中描述的动作发生在“过去的过去”。

过去完成时的基本结构:由 had 加动词的过去分词构成。

过去完成时的基本用法,有以下几种:
(1)表示在过去某一时刻或动作以前完成了的动作,即“过去的过去”。可以用by,
before等介词短语或一个时间状语从句来表示,也可以用一个表示过去的动作来表示,还可能通过上下文来表示。例如:
By nine o’clock last night, we had got 200 pictures from the spaceship.到昨晚9点钟,我们已经收到200 张飞船发来的图片。
(2)表示由过去的某一时刻开始,一直延续到过去另一时间的动作或状态,常和for, since构成的时间状语连用。例如:
I had been at the bus stop for 20 minutes when a bus finally came.当车来的时候,我在车站已等了20分钟。
He said he had worked in that factory since 1949.他说自从1949年以来他就在那家工厂工作。
(3)叙述过去发生的事情,在已叙述了过去发生的事情后,反过来追述或补述以前发生的动作时,常使用过去完成时。例如:
Mr. Smith died yesterday. He had been a good friend of mine.史密斯先生昨天去世了。他以前是我的好友。
I didn’t know a thing about the verbs, for I had not studied my
lesson.我对动词一无所知,因为我没有好好学习功课。
(4)在含有定语从句的主从复合句中,如果叙述的是过去的事,先发生的动作常用过去完成时。例如:
I returned the book that I had borrowed.我已归还了我借的书。
She found the key that she had lost.她丢失的钥匙找到了。
(5)过去完成时常常用在宾语从句(或间接引语)中,这时从句中的动作发生在主句表示的过去的动作之前。例如:
He said that he had known her well.他说他很熟悉她。
I thought I had sent the letter a week before. 我认为我一星期前就把信寄出去了。
(6)在包含有when,until等连词的复合句中,如果主句谓语动词和从句谓语动词所表示的过去动作不是同时发生的,那么先发生的动作通常用过去完成时表示。例如:
When I woke up, it had already stopped raining.我醒来时雨已停了。
She didn’t go to bed until she had finished he work.她直到把工作做完之后才睡觉。
注意:如果两个动作紧接着发生,则常常不用过去完成时,特别是在包含before和after的复合句中,因为这时从句的动作和主句的动作发生的先后顺序已经非常明确,这时可以用一般过去时代替过去完成时。例如:
After he arrived in England, Marx worked hard to improve his English.
马克思到达英格兰之后,努力提高他的英语水平。
(7)动词think, want, hope, mean,plan,intend等用过去完成时来表示过去未曾实现的想法,希望,打算或意图等。例如:
They had wanted to help but could not get there in time.他们本来打算去帮忙,但没有及时赶到那里。
We had hoped to be able to come and see you .我们本来希望能来看看你。
(8)过去完成时还可用在hardly…when…, no sooner…than…, It was the first (second, etc) time (that)…等固定句型中。例如:
Hardly had he began to speak when the audience interrupted him.他刚开始演讲,听众就打断了他。
No sooner had he arrived than he went away again.他刚到就又走了。
It was the third time that he had been out of work that year.这是他那一年第三次失业了

例句:
1. All the tickets had been sold out when they arrived.
他们到达时,所有的票已经售完.(过去完成时)
2. They said that they had sketched out their work plan.
(过去完成时主动态)他们说,他们已经拟定了工作计划.
3. The present and past perfect tenses both belong to the perfect tense.
现在完成时和过去完成时都属于完成时态.
4. They said that production costs had been reduced.
(过去完成时)他们说生产成本已经下降了.
5. She said she would come as soon as she had done her work.
要用过去完成时来表示过去将来完成时.
6. Eric died a few days ago and these years, he had lived as a recluse.
埃里克几天前死了,这些年来, 埃里克都是过着隐士生活. (过去完成时)
7. When I arrived, they already put the fire out.
我到达时, 他们已经把火扑灭了. (不可用过去完成进行时)
8. Past simple or present perfect?
一般过去时还是现在完成时?
9. Several outcome measures were applied, and the results were compared with findings in previously described cohorts.
多用现在时和过去时态,偶尔也会用到完成时和将来时.一般用过去时叙述研究的实验设计、作过程和方法 、 到的结果等等.
10. The teacher said the assignment would have been handed in before next week.
(过去将来完成时)老师说作业在下周前交.