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The verb to stand · Conjugation

Past Perfect of stand

The answer: had stood

B2

A past action that happened before another past action.

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Quick answer

The Past Perfect of the verb to stand is had stood.

Example: She had already stood in the queue when I arrived.

Full conjugation in the Past Perfect

PronounFormContraction
Ihad stoodI'd stood
Youhad stoodYou'd stood
He / She / Ithad stoodHe'd / She'd / It'd stood
Wehad stoodWe'd stood
You (pl.)had stoodYou'd stood
Theyhad stoodThey'd stood

Common mistakes to avoid

1. After had, always the past participle

With stand, the Past Simple and the past participle are the same (stood), so I had stood is easy. But many irregular verbs have two different forms: I had gone, not I had went; I had seen, not I had saw.

2. Yesterday I had gone to the cinema ❌

Use the Past Perfect only for the earlier of two past actions. For one past action, the Past Simple is enough: Yesterday I went to the cinema. With stand: stood for one action, had stood for the action that came first.

3. 'd + past participle = had

'd can mean had or would. Look at the next word. 'd + past participle = had: I'd stood = I had stood. 'd + base form = would: I'd stand = I would stand.

Practice quiz

Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank

Choose the correct answer: What is the Past Perfect of stand with they?

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Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate stand in the Past Perfect?+

Use had + the past participle stood. The form is the same for every person: I had stood, she had stood, they had stood. The short form is 'd: I'd stood.

When do you use the Past Perfect of stand?+

Use it for an action that happened before another action in the past. It shows which action came first: When we arrived, the film had already started. The film started first, and then we arrived. Signal words: before, after, already, by the time.

What is the past participle of stand?+

The past participle of stand is stood. You use it after have, has and had. It is the same as the Past Simple: stood.

What is the difference between had stood and have stood?+

Have stood (Present Perfect) connects the past to now. Had stood (Past Perfect) connects an earlier past to a later past. Compare: I have finished my homework (so I can play now) and I had finished my homework before dinner.

How do you make the negative and the question of stand in the Past Perfect?+

Negative: I hadn't stood (had not). Question: put had before the subject: Had you stood…? The past participle does not change.

Related pages: stand Past Perfect

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Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →

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More forms of the verb to stand are coming soon.