(1) 表示在过去某个动作或某个具体时间之前已经发生、完成的动作或情况,如:They had got everything ready before I came.(在我来到之前,他们已经把一切准备好了。)
(2) 在hardly/scarcely/barely…when,no sooner … than(“一……就”)句型中,主句用过去完成时,从句用过去时,如:She had hardly gone to bed when the bell rang.(她刚刚睡下铃就响了。)
(3) intend,mean,hope,want,plan,suppose,expect等动词,用过去完成时表示“本来打算做而没有做”这一含义,如:He had wanted to help you but he had no time then.(他本来想帮助你的,但当时没有时间。)
(4) hope,expect,think,want等词用于比较结构中,表示过去的想法和原来(即:过去的过去)的想法相比较时,后者用过去完成时。如:He did better than we had thought.(他做得比我们原来想的要好。)
(5) It was the first/second time后的从句中用过去完成时,如:It was the first time he had lost the game.(这是他第一次比赛输了。)(注意:在It is the first time后的从句中用现在完成时)