PAST PERFECT TENSE

It’s used for a past action which happened before another past action or before a stated past time.

e.g: I had had a shower, then I left home. After she had told me that she was ill, I did not get angry with her for not coming.

TIME EXPRESSIONS OF PAST PERFECT TENSE

    after: First, Brad Pitt acted in the movie, “Seven Years in Tibet”Then, the Government of China banned his entrance to China. After Brad Pitt acted in the movie, “Seven Years in Tibet”, the Government of China banned his entrance to China.

After + Past Perfect , Past tense

    Before: First, the producers of the film had considered Brad Pitt for the main role. Then, Keanu Reeves took the main role in the Matrix.

Before Keanu Reeves took the main role in the Matrix, the producers of the film had considered Brad Pitt for the main role.

Before + Simple Past, Past perfect

    By the time/ When: First, Julia Roberts changed her name from Julie to Julia. Then, Julia Roberts became a famous movie star.

By the time/ when Julia Roberts became a famous movie star, she had (already) changed her name from Julie to Julia.By the time/When + Simple Past, Past perfect

 

   As soon as:

First, Brad began to work in a TV firm Then, Brad got his first role in the movie “Thelma and Louise”.

As soon as Brad had began to work in a TV firm, he got his first role in the movie “Thelma and Louise”.

As soon as + Past Perfect , Past tense

SOME EXAMPLES:

First, we ate at the cafeteria. Then, we went to class. (after)

After we had eaten at the cafeteria, we went to class.

First, Juan made himself a sandwich. Then, he poured some tea. (after)

After Juan had made himself a sandwich, he poured some tea.

•The past perfect continuous tense is like the past perfect tense, but it expresses longer actions in the past before another action in the past.

•For example:

Ram started waiting at 9am. I arrived at 11am.

When I arrived, Ram had been waiting for two hours.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Complete the sentences with the words in brackets and use past forms

I............(see) my first baseball game when I...................

(live) in New York.

   How many glass of beer........................(drink) before

He ................(leave) the pub?

  It .....................(rain) so we.................. (decide) to stay at

home all afternoon.

  By the time I .................(leave) university I .................(be) to

France fifteen times.

was livingsaw

had he drunk

left

was raining decided

left had been

What ........................(you/do) at the time the

murder was committed?

   When we....................(get) home we saw that

someone................ (break) in to steal the video.

I didn't realise I................ (lose) my credit card

until I............... (try) to pay for something.

  I ..................(write) an email to my sister when

she........................ (ring) me.

were you doing

got

had broken

had lost

tried

was writing

rang

When I....................(arrive) at the station, the train

.................................(already-leave).

We...........................(light) the candles because the lights

.......................... (go off).

When I got home I ..................(discover) that somebody

.................................(break into) my flat.

The patient.................(die) before the ambulance...............

(reach) the hospital.

John..........................(eat) all the cakes by the time the other

children....................(arrive).

arrived

had already left

lit

had gone off

discovered

had broken into

had died reached

had eaten

arrived

PAST PERFECT TENSE OR PAST SIMPLE TENSE

After Jim and Terry 1).......................(finish) their breakfast,

they 2.).................(take) their bags and 3.).................(go) to the

river to fish. They 4.).....................(go) there before and

5.)...................(catch) some big fish. By 5 o’clock they

6.)...................(not/get) any fish, so they decided to go home. They

7.)........................(promise)their mother to bring fish for dinner,

so they 8.)..................(look) for a shop where they could buy some

but the shops 9.)................................. (already/close). When they

10.).....................(arrive) home, they 11.)...................(tell) their

mother that they 12.).......................(catch) the biggest fish they

13.)........................(ever/see) but it 14.).........................(escape).

had finished

took went

had gone

caughthadn’t gothad promised

looked

had already closedarrived told

had caught

had ever seen escaped

Now that’s your time, let’s complete the sentences:

1.) Ben couldn’t write the letter because,.....................................He had lost his pen

2.) Jane missed the train because,..........................................

3.) He couldn’t pay the electricity bill because,.........................4.) She failed her exam because,......................................

5.) She was sad because,.................................................

6.) His hands were dirty because,.............................................

7.) He was wet, because.......................................................

8.) They were hungry because,...................................................

9.) He had a stomach-ache because,............................................

10.) They were tired, because.........................................................

11.) Jenifer got sunburnt because,.................................................