The action that happened before another past action.
It shows that one past action happened before another. We use it to put two past events in the right order.
She had already left when I arrived.
By the time the film started, we had found our seats.
had + past participle
Marks the earlier of two past actions.
When I arrived, she had already gone home.
She left first. Then I arrived.
He had never seen snow before he moved to Canada.
He moved to Canada. Before that, no snow.
They had finished dinner by the time the guests arrived.
Dinner was finished first. Guests arrived second.
She had already finished when I called.
He had never tried sushi before that night.
By the time we got there, the show had already started.
After she had read the instructions, she assembled the furniture.
I realized I had forgotten my keys.
He had never tried sushi before that evening.
When I arrived, she ^ already left.
When I arrived, she had already left.
He had went to bed before midnight.
He had gone to bed before midnight.
By the time she called, I had fell asleep.
By the time she called, I had fallen asleep.
She hadn't never visited Paris before that trip.
She hadn't visited Paris before that trip.
Say the answer out loud — then tap to check.
By the time we arrived, the film hadA already beganB, soC we missed theD first ten minutes.
Balready began → already begun
✓ had + past participle
She had studiedA French for three years beforeB she moved to Lyon, whereC her cousins livesD now.
Dlives → live
✓ her cousins is plural → live
When I have arrivedA at the station, the train hadB already leftC, soD I took a taxi.
AWhen I have arrived → When I arrived
✓ past simple for the later action
Answer in a full sentence using had + past participle.
The earlier event always takes 'had' — even when it's written second.