Past perfect tense

Hi,

I hadn't told you this yet. - How can this be okay as a stand alone sentence?

I thought past perfect tense has to be describing something that happened before another past event?

Or before some point of time in the past.

eg It was 2005. Clive had not won a Nobel Prize yet.



Clive

So there should be a sentence before: I hadn't told you this yet.

Right?

Hi,



Yes. Do you want to try to make up some kind of context in which you would say that sentence?



Clive

I hadn't told you this yet, but I bumped into James at the market. Or

I hadn't told you this yet, but I had bumped into James at the market.

Hi,

I hadn't told you this yet, but I bumped into James at the market.

Let's consider your first example. What are the events and points of time here?



Can you try to list them in sequence?



Clive

Hi Sir Clive!

CliveClive had not won a Nobel Prize yet.

Don't worry. Soon you will.

Past past- I hadn't told you this

Past- Bumped into James.

I hadn't told you this yet, but I bumped into James at the market.

So this sentence is incorrect?

Hi,

Past past- I hadn't told you this

Past- Bumped into James.

I hadn't told you this yet, but I bumped into James at the market.

So this sentence is incorrect?

It sounds like you wanted to tell me something, but after you bumped into James you no longer wanted to tell me. Is that what you mean?



Clive

I'm trying to say that I had bumped in to James but I haven't told you yet.

Hi,



I haven't told you yet, but I bumped into James.



( Or perhaps just I bumped into James. )



Best wishes, Clive