The Pluperfect Indicative (El pluscuamperfecto del indicativo) El año pasado, nadie había oído de los Romero. ¡Ahora es casi imposible conseguir entradas!

The Formation of the Pluperfect Like the present perfect tense, the pluperfect is a compound tense. It is formed with the imperfect tense of haber + past participle. había habíamos + Past participle—masculine singular form only habías habíais había habían

The Formation of the Pluperfect Notice the following chart: Imperfect tense of haber Past participle Past tense of to have Past participle yo había I had tú habías you had tomado taken él, ella, Ud. había he, she, you had comido eaten nosotros/as habíamos we had vivido lived vosotros/as habíais you (pl. fam.) had ellos, ellas, Uds. habían they, you (pl.) had

A breakdown of the terminology The word pluscuamperfecto itself is a compound word. If we divide it into its three components . . . pluscuamperfecto

A breakdown of the terminology The word pluscuamperfecto itself is a compound word. If we divide it into its three components . . . plus cuamperfecto

A breakdown of the terminology The word pluscuamperfecto itself is a compound word. If we divide it into its three components . . . plus cuam perfecto more than past . . . we find that the term defines how this verb tense describes an action or event—back past another past action or event, or “more than past.”

A time line showing verb tense relationships the pluperfect the preterit the present (previous to past) (past) (now) Yo no había estudiado lo suficiente. Yo saqué una C en el examen de mitad de semestre. Ahora yo soy un muy buen estudiante.  toward the past toward the future  the present perfect The pluperfect is always related to another past tense. (from the past up ‘til now) Yo he estudiado mucho más desde el examen de mitad de semestre. The pluperfect is never used in total isolation. It must always be accompanied by another explicit or implied past event or action.

Again, the pluperfect is used to refer to an action or event that had occurred before another past action or event. Compare the following sentences with the time line. “more than past” past Present Past Future dirigir venir cantar entrar estar decir “more than past” past El director había dirigido otras dos orquestas antes de venir a Boston. The director had conducted two other orchestras before coming to Boston. past “more than past” Cuando entramos, la diva ya había cantado el aria. When we entered, the diva had already sung the aria. past “more than past” Nos dijo que el compositor había estado enfermo. He told us that the composer had been sick.

Remember that in compound tenses nothing may be inserted between the auxiliary haber and the past participle; haber must agree in number with the subject, and the past participle has only one form. El público lo había visto antes. The public had seen him before. Los músicos habían tocado maravillosamente. The musicians had played marvelously.

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