What is the Difference Between Past Perfect and Past Participle

December 2022 · 5 minute read

The key difference between past perfect and past participle is that past perfect is a tense, whereas past participle is a verb form.

Past perfect is used when indicating actions that happened before a particular time in the past. We mainly use past perfect to indicate that one action happened before the other. A past participle is a verb form, and it is used in the past perfect tense as well.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Past Perfect 
3. What is Past Participle
4. Past Perfect vs Past Participle in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Past Perfect vs Past Participle

What is Past Perfect?

Past perfect is a tense that is used to indicate actions that were completed before some point in the past. Usually, this is from two events in the past, one occurring before the other. We use it to describe that something happened before something else. It is not necessary to mention which event happened first since the tense itself mentions it. Past perfect is also called pluperfect.

Past Perfect vs Past Participle in Tabular Form

Formation of Past Perfect

Subject + had + past participle + object

The past perfect tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb ‘had’ together with the ‘past participle of the given verb. The past participle form of a regular verb is just like a regular verb in the past simple.

Examples

The past perfect is used to refer to the action that happened first, and the past simple is used to refer to the action that happened later.

Examples

First, he did not practice well; as a result, he lost the game

First, she finished her homework and then she went to have tea

More Example Sentences

This formation does not change whether the subject is singular or plural. This tense is used to refer to some point in the past while referring to another action that happened even before. To indicate this sequence of events, we use the past perfect tense. In this way, the sentence becomes specific and clearer.

Usually, we use ‘after’, ‘as soon as’, ‘the moment that’, and ‘until’ before using the past perfect.

Example

We use ‘before’, ‘when’, and ‘by the time’ before the past simple.

Example

Examples

Event AEvent B
Leon had studied Frenchbefore he moved to France
Subjecthadpast participle
Affirmative
Shehadarrived
Negative
Shehadn’tarrived
Interrogative
Hadshearrived?
Interrogative Negative
Hadn’tshearrived?

What is Past Participle?

A past participle is a verb form. This is usually the third category in the table of irregular verbs. Past participle verbs are used in passive voice, perfect tenses and also as adjectives.

Formation of Past Participle

Regular verbs – addition of –ed

Irregular verbs- varies

InfinitivePast simplePast participle
To makemademade
To comecamecame
To dodiddone
To writewrotewritten
To eatateeaten

Examples for Perfect Tenses

There are some adjectives in English that are made from the past participle form of the verb. Here, the past participle becomes a word that describes a noun (an object or a person)

Examples for Adjectives

What is the Difference Between Past Perfect and Past Participle?

The key difference between past perfect and past participle is that past perfect is a tense while past participle is a verb form. In fact, we use the past participle verb form to form past perfect tense.

The following table summarizes the difference between past perfect and past participle.

Summary – Past Perfect vs Past Participle

Past perfect is a tense which is used to indicate actions that were completed before some point in the past. We mainly use past perfect to indicate that one action happened before the other. It is formed by adding ‘had’ and the past participle form of the given verb to the subject. A past participle is a verb form. While forming this verb, regular verbs add –ed while irregular verbs vary. Thus, this is the key difference between past perfect and past participle.

Reference:

1. “Past Perfect Tense.” Grammarly, 16 Dec. 2020.
2. “What Is the Past Participle?WSE International.

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