过去完成时常见的标志性时间状语主要有：
1、by the end of 过去时间2、by the time 从句（动作发生在过去）
By the end of last year, we had solved more than 100 problems. （到去年年底，我们已经解决了100多个问题。）
3、by (the time of) 过去时间
By the time she left the city, she had used up all her savings. （到她离开这个城市的时候，她的存款已全部用完。）
4、before 过去时间
He had taught maths for four years by last July. （到上个七月为止，他已经教了四年数学了。）
He had never ridden a horse before last month. （到上个月以前他从来没有骑过马。）
当宾语从句的主句采用一般过去时，且从句的动作先于主句的动作时，从句要用过去完成时。这种情况多见于间接引语的用法里，其主句的谓语动词常见的有told、said、knew、heard、thought、asked等。如：
2、状语从句中
The accused man said he had been framed. （被告说他受人陷害了。）
He told me that he had met her the night before. （他告诉我他曾在那前一天晚上见过她。）
He asked her what she really had meant. （他问她究竟是什么意思。）
在时间、条件、原因、方式等状语从句中，主、从句的动作如果先后发生，动作在前的，要用过去完成时，动作在后的要用一般过去时。如：
3、特殊动词后
The land came in sight after we had sailed for ten days. （我们在海上航行了十天，终于看见了陆地。）
If she had said that, she told a real whopper. （要是她那么说的，她就是说了个大瞎话。）
I remained up because my uncle had come to see me. （因为我叔叔来看我，所以我一直没有睡。）
Everything fell out as we had anticipated. （一切结果正如我们所预料的那样。）
英语中有hope、wish、expect、think、intend、mean、suppose等表意向、想法、愿望、建议等的动词，采用过去完成时，可以表示"原本…"，其后经常会接由but引导的句子，而该句的谓语动词一般采用一般过去时。如：
He had hoped to set a new world record, but was frustrated by bad weather. （他本希望能创造新的世界纪录，但因天气恶劣而未果。）
He had thought that he was qualified as a judge. （他曾一度认为他有资格作一位法官。）
I had intended to make a cake, but I ran out of time. （我原想做个蛋糕，但没有时间。）
We had supposed that we would be able to see more of Shanghai, but time didn't permit. （我们本打算能多看看上海,但时间却不允许了。）
因为“had done”中的was/were是助动词，所以在进行句型转换中要注意不需要再另外借助助动词do/did/does，而是直接借用had。如：
肯定句：He had worked here for a good many years. （他在这里工作了很多年了。）
否定句：He hadn't worked here for a good many years.
一般疑问句：Had he worked here for a good many years?
特殊疑问句：How long had he worked here? （划线部分为a good many years）
当if引导的虚拟条件句是针对过去时间发生的事情时，if从句的谓语动词就会采用过去完成时。如：
2、时间状语从句
If I had asked for directions, I would not have got lost. （如果我问一下方向，我就不会迷路了。）
在表“一...就...”的时间状语从句中，有两个特殊的句型较为常用，即hardly...when...和no sooner...than...。句中先发生的动作要采用过去完成时，后发生的动作要采用一般过去时。如：
He had hardly seen me when he ran off. （他一看到我就跑掉了。）
I had no sooner left than she called. （我刚走她就打来了电话。）
【注意】
当hardly或no sooner提到句首时，会引起倒装。上面的两句话就会变为：
Hardly had he seen me when he ran off.
No sooner had I left than she called.
