Chapter 19: Congiuntivo Trapassato

The congiuntivo trapassato, like the congiuntivo imperfetto, is used when the main sentence (that requires a subjunctive) contains a past tense.

While the congiuntivo imperfetto is used when the main verb and the subjunctive verb happen at the same time (in the past), the congiuntivo trapassato is used when the subjunctive verb happens before the main verb.

Pensavo che Alessio leggesse libri in inglese. → I thought (then) Alessio read (then) books in English.

Pensavo che Anna avesse letto la Divina Commedia. →  I thought (then) Anna had read (before then) the Divine Comedy. 

The congiuntivo trapassato is formed with the auxiliary avere or essere in the congiuntivo imperfetto + the past participle of the verb. 

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