ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the use of pluperfect tense in the German grammar. The pluperfect in German is used in much the same way as the pluperfect in English – to indicate that a particular event is one step further into the past than the past events related to it. The pluperfect tense is formed using the past tense of the auxiliary verb haben plus the past participle of the main verb. In English, the pluperfect progressive is often used to refer to an action in the past which had not been completed. As German does not have progressive forms and the German pluperfect is only used to refer to completed actions in the past, we need to use other means of indicating that an action is continuing. The chapter is designed for both classroom use and independent study, providing step-by-step approach to pluperfect tense and multiple exercises for the students to rehearse and practise themselves.
