What verb tense is used to describe an action that occurred before another past action?

The Past Perfect Tense is used to describe an action that occurred before another action in the past. It establishes a clear timeline, indicating that one event happened prior to another past event. For example, in the sentence "She had finished her homework before the movie started," the use of "had finished" in the Past Perfect Tense demonstrates that the homework completion occurred first, followed by the start of the movie.

This tense is formed using "had" followed by the past participle of the main verb, which helps to clarify the sequence of past events. In contrast, other tenses do not serve the same purpose of indicating an earlier past action relative to another past event. This makes the Past Perfect Tense a vital tool for effective storytelling and clarity in writing.