The past perfect

The past perfect

Observe the following picture and answer the questions bellow:

When he arrived to the train station, the train had left.

1. When did the event happen?
2. Did the man catch the train? Justify?
3. What action did happen first?

Answers:

1. The events happened in the past.
2. The man did not catch the train because the train had left before the man arrived.
3. The train had left before the man arrived.

We use the past perfect when

Past Perfect Form

Affirmative	Negative(not)	Interrogative (?)
Subject + had + Past Participle	Subject + had + Not + P.Paticiple	Had + subject + P.Participle + ?
I had revised the lesson before I took the exam.	Nadia had not done her homework before she came to class.	Had you sold the house before you moved out?

Use

USE 1: Completed Action Before Something in the Past

 

 

Past                                        Present                                        Futur

After Ahmed had watched the movie, he went to bed.

USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Past

 

 

Past                                        Present                                        Futur

By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for eight years.

Task 1

Complete the table using the past perfect:

Affirmative	Negative	Interogative
Karim had travelled abroad.
	They had not spoken.
		Had Omar gone to the        mall?
Sophie had done her homework.

Task 2

Put the verbs between brackets in the past perfect tense:

• When I arrived at the cinema, the film                              (started).

• When the family                                (finish) lunch, they went to visit my grandmother.

• Once they                                  (hear) the explosion, they left the building immediately.

• I didn't say anything until she                  (finish) talking.

Task 3

Use the past perfect and the simple past:

• When he                 (arrive) to the match, the match            already           (start).

• She                          (watch) her favorite series after her children                      (go) to sleep.

 

• I                            (be) because   I                         (study) too much.

Correction of the tasks: Complete the table using the past perfect:

Affirmative	Negative	Interogative
Karim had travelled abroad.	Karim had not travel abroad.	Had Karim travelled abroad?
They had spoken.	They had not spoken.	Had they spoken?
Omar had gone to the mall.	Omar had not gone to the mall.	Had Omar gone to the        mall?
Sophie had done her homework.	Sophie had not done her homework.	Had Sophie done her homework?

Task 2:

Put the verbs between brackets in the past perfect tense:

• When I arrived at the cinema, the film    had started (started).

• When the family had finished   (finish) lunch, they went to visit my grandmother.

• Once they  had heard  (hear) the explosion, they left the building immediately.

• I didn't say anything until she had finished  (finish) talking.

Task 3:

Use the past perfect and the simple past:

• When he arrived   (arrive) to the match, the match had  already started          (start).

• She     watched   (watch) her favorite series after her children   had gone                   (go) to sleep.
• I     was     (be) because   I      had studied   (study) too much.

The past perfect continuous