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I know that it should be had + verb in past form, but not sure about these sentences:

This idea appeared when an apple had fallen on his head.

Meaning: first it felt, then an idea appeared at those moment when it felt.

Or

This pencil appeared on the table when the other one had broken.

I suppose this would be wrong:

This pencil appeared on the table when the other one became broken.

Meaning: one thing became broken and after than the other one appeared.

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    Not an answer, but I was thinking it could sound much better if you use active voice in all sentences, like He got this idea...
    – Jan
    Commented Feb 28, 2020 at 8:19
  • @Jan thanks, do you think those two are correct?
    – R S
    Commented Feb 29, 2020 at 9:27
  • The pencil sentence sounds strange to me: How can a pencil just appear?
    – Jan
    Commented Feb 29, 2020 at 12:11
  • @Jan somebody put it there.
    – R S
    Commented Mar 2, 2020 at 17:51
  • OK, no problem, I answered below with somewhat rewritten sentences.
    – Jan
    Commented Mar 2, 2020 at 17:52

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If you think that the two events occured at the same time in the past, you can use past simple twice:

He got this idea when an apple fell on his head.

If you think that the idea was after apple, you can use past simple and past perfect:

He got this idea after an apple had fallen on his head.

and the later also in:

This pencil appeared on the table after the other one had broken.

To connect two clauses in the past simple, you use when, and to connect two clauses from which one is in the past and one before past (past simple and past perfect) you use after or before.

Source: https://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfect.html

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