The verb to work · Conjugation
Past Perfect of work
The answer: had worked
B2
A past action that happened before another past action.
Quick answer
The Past Perfect of the verb to work is had worked.
Example: She had already worked in the garden when I arrived.
Full conjugation in the Past Perfect
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | had worked | I'd worked |
| You | had worked | You'd worked |
| He / She / It | had worked | He'd / She'd / It'd worked |
| We | had worked | We'd worked |
| You (pl.) | had worked | You'd worked |
| They | had worked | They'd worked |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. After had, always the past participle
With work, the Past Simple and the past participle are the same (worked), so I had worked 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 work: worked for one action, had worked 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 worked = I had worked. 'd + base form = would: I'd work = I would work.
Practice quiz
Going further
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate work in the Past Perfect?+
Use had + the past participle worked. The form is the same for every person: I had worked, she had worked, they had worked. The short form is 'd: I'd worked.
When do you use the Past Perfect of work?+
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 work?+
The past participle of work is worked. You use it after have, has and had. The verb work is regular, so it is the same as the Past Simple: worked.
What is the difference between had worked and have worked?+
Have worked (Present Perfect) connects the past to now. Had worked (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 work in the Past Perfect?+
Negative: I hadn't worked (had not). Question: put had before the subject: Had you worked…? The past participle does not change.
Related pages: work 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/work/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 work are coming soon.