The verb to tear · Conjugation
Past Perfect of tear
The answer: had torn
B2
A past action that happened before another past action.
Quick answer
The Past Perfect of the verb to tear is had torn.
Example: She had already torn the paper when I arrived.
Full conjugation in the Past Perfect
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | had torn | I'd torn |
| You | had torn | You'd torn |
| He / She / It | had torn | He'd / She'd / It'd torn |
| We | had torn | We'd torn |
| You (pl.) | had torn | You'd torn |
| They | had torn | They'd torn |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I had tore ❌
After had, use the past participle, not the Past Simple: I had torn. The Past Simple of tear is tore, and the past participle is torn.
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 tear: tore for one action, had torn 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 torn = I had torn. 'd + base form = would: I'd tear = I would tear.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate tear in the Past Perfect?+
Use had + the past participle torn. The form is the same for every person: I had torn, she had torn, they had torn. The short form is 'd: I'd torn.
When do you use the Past Perfect of tear?+
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 tear?+
The past participle of tear is torn. You use it after have, has and had. It is different from the Past Simple. Learn the three forms together: tear, tore, torn.
What is the difference between had torn and have torn?+
Have torn (Present Perfect) connects the past to now. Had torn (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 tear in the Past Perfect?+
Negative: I hadn't torn (had not). Question: put had before the subject: Had you torn…? The past participle does not change.
Related pages: tear Past Perfect
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
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 →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/tear/past-perfect
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
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More forms of the verb to tear are coming soon.