PAST PERFECT TENSE

- To show two actions completed in the past (used with the simple past).
- To show what had been done by a specific time in the past
- To show an event that might have taken place (used with the word ‘if’)
- For negative sentences in the past perfect tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and
main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these
example sentences with the past perfect tense:

  subject auxiliary verb main verb  

+ I had   finished my work.

+ You had   stopped before me.

- She had not gone to school.

- We had not left.  

? Had you   arrived?  

? Had they   eaten dinner?

- When speaking with the past perfect tense, we often contract the subject and auxiliary
verb:

I had I'd

you had you'd

he had he'd
she had she'd
it had it'd

we had we'd

they had they'd

- If the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, the Simple Past can be used instead of the
Past Perfect when "before" or "after" is used in the sentence. The words "before" and "after"
actually tell you what happens first, so the Past Perfect is optional. For this reason, both sentences
below are correct.

Examples:

 She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.
 She visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:

 George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's license. ACTIVE

 Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's license. PASSIVE
Exercise 1

1. Sue ______________ (eat) lunch by the time I got home.

2. When he got to school, the debate ______________ already ______________ (start).
3. The plane ______________ (take) off by the time we got to the airport.
4. If you ______________ (try) harder, you would have won the competition.
5.  As soon as he ______________ ( finish) mowing the lawn he ______________ cutting the bushes.
(start)
6. She ______________ (ask) me if I ______________ away on holiday (be).
7.  When she ______________ (hear) the noise she turned to see what it was.
8. I told him I didn't know who ______________ (steal) his pen.
9. I felt exhauseted because I ______________ (run) ten miles.
10. Before we arrived at school the class ______________ (start).

Exercise 2

  1.  When their mother arrived home, the children __________________ (finish)
their homework.
 
  2.  The meeting ____________ (start) when I arrived at the office.
 
  3.  Julie didn't watch the film because she _____________ (see) it before.
 
  4.  The mechanic  ______________(repair) her car when Mary arrived at the
garage.
 
  5.  Caroline was tired when she left the office because she
________________(work) all day. 
 
  6.  David was playing tennis.  When his father arrived, he
__________________(play) for 2 hours.
 
  7.  When the dessert arrived, Anne wasn't hungry;  she _______________(eat) too
much. 
 
  8.  It was my first flight.  I ________________   (never fly) before.
 
  9.  The dentist was angry because John _______________ (forget) the time of his
appointment.
 
  10. On the day of his exam, Joe was ready.  He ________________ (revise) for
weeks.