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Also found in: English - Vietnamese

pluperfect

/'plu:pə:fikt/
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Definition:

Pluperfect is an adjective that describes something that is "more than perfect." In grammar, it refers to a tense that is used to show that an action was completed before another action in the past.

Usage Instructions:

When you use the word "pluperfect," you can be talking about two things: 1. In everyday language, it can describe something done with great precision or excellence. 2. In grammar, it refers to a specific verb tense.

Example:
  1. Everyday Language: "His performance was pluperfect; every note was sung flawlessly."
  2. Grammar: "I had finished my homework before dinner." Here, "had finished" is in the pluperfect tense because it shows that the homework was completed before another past action (dinner).
Advanced Usage:
  • In literature, you might encounter pluperfect in complex sentences to show the relationship between events. For example: "By the time she arrived, I had already left." The phrase "had already left" is in the pluperfect tense.
Word Variants:
  • The term "past perfect" is often used interchangeably with "pluperfect" in everyday conversation, but in strict grammatical terms, they refer to the same tense.
Different Meanings:
  • Besides its grammatical use, "pluperfect" can sometimes be used humorously or ironically to exaggerate a point about something being very good or perfect.
Synonyms:
  • Past perfect (grammatical term)
  • Perfect (in everyday language when describing excellence)
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

There aren't common idioms or phrasal verbs that specifically use "pluperfect," but you might encounter phrases like "to have done something to perfection," which conveys a similar meaning of excellence.

Summary:
  • Pluperfect means "more than perfect" and refers to a grammatical tense that describes an action completed before another past action.
  • Use it in sentences to convey both high quality and specific past actions.
Adjective
  1. more than perfect
    • he spoke with pluperfect precision
Noun
  1. a perfective tense used to express action completed in the past
    • `I had finished' is an example of the past perfect

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