What is the pluperfect and how do I use it?

The pluperfect (or the plus-que-parfait in French) is a compound tense, which means it consists of an auxiliary verb (avoir or être) and the past participle. The pluperfect is constructed by using the imperfect of the auxiliary verb plus the past parcticiple of the main verb, which must agree in number and gender if using être.  For example: J'avais cherché            Nous étions arrivé(e)s The pluperfect is use to indicate a past action that was completed BEFORE another past action.  For example: Quand elle était rentrée du travail, elle s'occupait des enfants. The underlined verb phrase is in the pluperfect, as she arrived at work BEFORE she looked after the children.