The Past PerfectAn Introduction

Samuel Morse

Morse’s Early Career

• Although Morse had studied mathematics and science in school, he became a painter.

• In 1825, Morse was away from home when he received a letter that his wife was dying.

• A messenger had ridden a horse a few days to bring him the news.

• Morse returned home as fast as he could. • However, by the time Morse returned home,

his wife had already died.

• Morse was terribly sad that he had missed the chance to say goodbye to his wife.

• He was disturbed by how long it had taken for him to find out about his wife’s illness.

• Also, he wasn’t really satisfied with his success in art.

• At this time in his life, Morse was still interested in science although he had become a painter.

• And since before his wife’s death, he had already been reading and thinking about creating a faster way to send messages.

• Morse finally decided to quit painting and focus on communication technology.

• Morse invented the electro-magnetic telegraph machine in 1844.

• He finally made a successful model in 1844, but only after he had tried several different methods that didn’t work.

Past PerfectForm

Subject + had + past participle + rest of sentence

He had already eaten, so he didn’t join us for lunch.

I hadn’t known any Arabic until Galban taught me.

(Wh word) + had + subject + past participle

What had you learned before you started this class?

Had you seen snow before you came to Denver?

When do we use past perfect?

To contrast two states, actions or events in the past.

To make the order of different past events more clear.

Complete the sentence:

•Before he became an inventor, Samuel Morse _____________ a painter.

Complete the sentence:

•Before he became an inventor, Samuel Morse had been a painter.

Complete the sentence:

•Sadly, Samuel Morse’s wife ______________

• by the time he arrived home.

Complete the sentence:

•Sadly, Samuel Morse’s wife had died

• by the time he arrived home.

Complete the sentence:

•Morse was an artist, but he also understood science because he _______________ it in college.

Complete the sentence:

•Morse was an artist, but he also understood science because he had studied it in college.

Past Perfect

Which time words are used with the past perfect?

Past Perfect

Which time words are used with the past perfect?

Before

After

By

By the time

Past Perfect

Which time words are used with the past perfect?

Before + simple past clause, past perfect clause

After + past perfect clause, simple past clause

By + year or time phrase

By the time + simple past clause, past perfect clause

Past Perfect

Before and after can used with either simple past or past perfect.

Ex: I hadn’t done the homework yet before I went to class.

Ex: I didn’t do my homework before I went to class.

Ex: After I had seen the movie, I wrote a summary.

Ex: After I saw the movie, I wrote a summary.

Past Perfect

We ALWAYS use the past perfect with by and by the time.

By 1890, the University of Denver had already opened.

I had already finished my work by the time he arrived.

Practice