Past Perfect

To form the Past Perfect Tense we use had with the past participle form of the verb. Most past participles end in - ed (painted, arrived, visited, etc.). Irregular verbs have special past participles that must be memorized. (told, said, spoken, eaten, etc.)

We use Past Perfect Tense:

· to say that something had already happened before another action or specific time in the past (often with adverbs like already, until, already... by, before, after,just; if either before or after is used Past Simple may be used instead Past Perfect)

Example: When Linda arrived her husband had left.

· the action which occurs previously in time is expressed in the past perfect tense, and the action which occurs later is expressed in the past tense

Example: After I had cooked (cooked) the dinner I watched TV.

· in reported speech after verbs like told,asked, said, wanted, wondered, explained

Example: Your parents wanted to know what you had doneyesterday.

· to show regret about the past

Example: I wish we had stayed at another hotel.

· in third conditional, also called conditional type 3 (if + past perfect in the 'if' clause,perfect conditional in the main clause). This is a structure we use to talk about unreal conditions in the past.

Example: If the children had been good their mother would have taken them to the zoo.

· with conjunctions like no sooner... thanor hardly/barely... when

Example: Hardly had he finished working, when his girlfriend arrived.

· a state that started in the past, and continued up to some time in the past

Example: He had worked there for two years before he got fired.

 

Exercise 1.Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form:

Exercise 2.Translate into English:

Exercise 3.Rewrite the sentences using the words in brackets and the Past Perfect as in the example:

Exercise 4.Make up the sentences using the Past Perfect Tense:

TEST 4 (Past Simple / Past Perfect)

1. Underline the correct answer:

2. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Perfect or Past Simple:

3. Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or past perfect simple):

1. When he (wake up) , his mother (already / prepare) breakfast.

2. We (go) to London because the Queen (invite) us for tea.

3. He (hear) the news, (go) to the telephone and (call) a friend.

4. When she (start) to learn English, she (already / learn) French.

5. Jane (already / type) ten pages when her computer (crash) .

6. By the time he (arrive) at the pub, they (run) out of beer.

7. Before that day we (never / think) of going to Japan.

8. I (know) him for a long time before I (meet) his family.

9. They (not / know) where to meet because nobody (tell) them.

10. It (be) cloudy for days before it finally (begin) to rain.

 

4. Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or pas perfect simple):

1. It (be) a cold and rainy Sunday, so I (decide) to finish the essay that I (start) writing a few days before.

2. I (switch) on the computer and (open) the document.

3. Then I (begin) looking for my notes that I (handwrite) on a sheet of paper.

4. But the notes (be) not on my desk and I (can / not) remember where I (put) them.

5. I (turn) the whole house upside down.

6. And where (find / I) my notes?

7. I (leave) them in the sitting room, under a huge staple of papers and magazines.

8. Now that I (find) my notes, I (want) to continue writing my essay.

9. First I (know / not) what to write but then I (have) lots of ideas.

10. I (complete / almost) my essay when my computer suddenly (crash) and I (notice) that I (forget) to save the document.

11. After I (reboot) my computer, I (see) that at least 5 of the pages I (type) (be) missing.

12. So I (have) to start all over again.