I had sent vs I have sent

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'I had sent' is used in the past perfect tense to indicate an action that was completed before another past action. 'I have sent' is used in the present perfect tense to indicate an action that was completed recently or has relevance to the present.

Last updated: March 17, 2024 • 2509 views

I had sent

This phrase is correct and is used in the past perfect tense to indicate an action that was completed before another past action.

'I had sent' is used when you want to talk about an action that was completed before another past action. It shows the sequence of events in the past.

Examples:

I had sent the email before I left the office.
By the time she arrived, I had sent the package.
He had sent the invitation before he realized his mistake.

Show examples from the web [+]

I had sent Peppinello to the Chevalier for an urgent rescue...
Somehow I had sent two wrong messages...
Linda Larsen remembered the campaign literature that I had sent by mail.
I find it very regrettable, especially because I had sent my speech in advance.
I mean, Connor knew about the e-mails I had sent.
I'll get it. It's probably the shoes I had sent out to be shined.
I had sent a message to Vanka from Ram's phone.
I had sent documentation on a work but it was not archived or published in the General Catalog.
I could not believe it, years before I had sent many e-mails to them, without any answer.
The owner was on holiday in Spain for 5 weeks and had step apparently he gave instructions that I had sent an e mail spoke English nor French and gifts I made contact by a German friend who eventually deloquer the situation.
The following day I began receiving notifications from the social website of "comments" added to the photos I had sent.
When I submitted my thesis, at that time my thesis director, to whom I had sent all my documents, was no longer there.
No. I had sent five of my most trusted
Because of these occurrences, I had sent a message to President Milosevic the day before, through the Yugoslavian ambassador in Havana and our ambassador in Belgrade.
He got the document by accident from someone I had sent it to to get his comments on the arrangement that I had done. I had this person's real name and knew that he was younger than the song he was supposed to have written.
They fiddled through it and pulled up this text message that I had sent to Patrick, which said...
He's convinced I had sent 'Esau' to Hebron.
I insisted that I had sent the review to him by email.
No, Sir, I had sent him on an errand.
Then Mr. de Jumonville ordered the Summons which I had sent them to retire, to be read...

Alternatives:

I had already sent
I had previously sent
I had already sent it by then
I had sent it earlier
I had sent it before

I have sent

This phrase is correct and is used in the present perfect tense to indicate an action that was completed recently or has relevance to the present.

'I have sent' is used when you want to talk about an action that was completed recently or has relevance to the present. It indicates a connection between the past and the present.