Simple Past, Past Continuous & Past Perfect

In this lesson, we will focus on the past perfect. When do you use the past perfect?

Past Perfect:
1) We use the past perfect to indicate the earlier of two actions in the past.
  a) Some common adverbs and conjunctions include:
   when, before, as soon as, after, by the time...
   Example: As soon as she got to class she noticed
   that she had put on one red sock and one green sock.
   (Earlier action: had put on.)

   Note: The simple/continuous past can be used
  for both actions when the later action follows
  almost immediately.

  b) In clauses with just, yet and already:
   Example: She had just reached the classroom when
   she noticed her odd colored socks.
   (Earlier action: had just reached the classroom.)

...Past Perfect:

  c) In reported speech;
   Example: Her friends said that she had turned
   completely red because of her embarrassment.
   (Earlier action: had turned.)

  d) With 'wish':
   Example: She wished she had set her alarm the
   night before.
   (Earlier action: had set.)

  b) In conditionals:
   Example: If I had set my alarm, I would have
   gotten up at a good time.
   (Earlier action: had set.)