Theory Introduction

The Past Perfect tense is formed with had + the Past Participleof the notional verb(gone, opened, written, etc.)

In the interrogative form the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject.

In the negative form notis placed after the auxiliary verb.

The Past Perfect tense is used:

1) to show which of the two past events happened first (it is ‘the past of the past’). This is the main use of the Past Perfect.

We had no car at that time. We had sold our old one and hadn’t bought a new one.

The children liked the zoo very much. They hadn’t seen wild animals before.

2) to express a complete action that happened before a certain moment in the past. The past moment may be indicated by adverbial phrases, such as by 5 o’clock, by that time, by yesterday, by the end of the year, by last weekorby another past actionexpressed by a verb inthe Past Indefinite.

The committee had announced their decision by the end of the working day.

It had stopped raining before I left the house.

3) to make a time distinction between two past events with conjunctions when, till, until, as soon as, before, after.

He didn’t believe anybody after his friend had let him down.

The discussion had begun before I arrived.

Nobody cooked dinner till Mother had brought vegetables from the shop.

She refused to leave the gallery till she had seen all the pictures.

Note: the Past Perfect is used in whenclauses when we want to make it clear that the action in the when clause was completed before the second action started.

When she had shut the door and the windows, she went to bed.

When she had read the letter several times, she started to cry.

4) for complete past action which had visible results in the past.

She was sad because she had failed the test.

We were happy because we had passed our exams.

He was depressed. The matter had gone too far.

5) The Past Perfect is frequently used (like the Present Perfect) with the adverbs: already, just, yet, still, for, ever, neverfor situations in the past.

When I got home, our guests had already left.

He wanted to go to England because he had never been there before.

6) The Past Perfect is used in Reported Speech:

She said that she had visited the museum the day before.

He asked if she had changed her address.

The teacher asked why I had missed the lesson the day before.

7) The Past Perfect is used with the conjunctions hardly (scaresly) … when(едва … как), no sooner … than(не успел … как, как только).The inverted word-order is often used with these conjunctions.

Mr. Smith had hardly begun his speech when he was interrupted.

or:

Hardly had Mr. Smith begun his speech when he was interrupted.

No sooner had I entered the room than the telephone rang.

8) for unfulfilled hopes and wishes in the past.

I had hoped/hoped to sent him a congratulation telegram, but I didn’t manage to do it.

I wish (or: If only) I had known about it yesterday.

9) After the expressions it/that/was the first/second.../etc. when we talk about the past.

It was the second coffee (that) he had drunk that evening.

Notes:

1. When one short action comes straight after another, we use the Past Simple.

I came home, had dinner and decided to have a short rest.

2. We use the Past Simple for events that occur in sequence.

‘I came, I saw, I conquered’, Julius Caesar declared.

3. When with two Past Simple is used when the first action happened just before the second action.

When we came, the concert began.

But: When we came, the concert had begun (i.e. before we got there).

In general, we do not use complex verb forms more often than necessary. If we say several things about the same situation, and if we connect these ideas with conjunctions or relative pronouns and if the main verb is in the past perfect, the rest of the verbs can be in simple past form.

For thirty years he had worked harder than he needed.

It wasn’t certain why he had crashed, but possibly he had gone to sleep while he was driving. (Not: …had been driving)

Practice

Teaching Models

Ex. 1.Readthe summary of a magazine story called Hot Lipsby Celia Youn paying attention to Past Perfect forms.

Marsha and Felix got married one Saturday in June. They had met only one week earlier at a party and had fallen passionately in love.

Marsha rang and told her parents her news after the wedding ceremony had taken place and when Felix had moved into her flat. The parents were surprised and angry.

Unfortunately, after a few months, their marriage started to go wrong. Felix had met another woman.

Marsha read Felix’s letter which she had just received and walked slowly into the kitchen.

She had bought his favourite food for dinner, but now she threw it in the rubbish bin.

Why had he done this to her? She remembered how happy they had been in the beginning. They had laughed a lot and made plans for the future. Marsha felt desperate.

An hour later the phone rang in the flat. It was Marsha’s parents, but she didn’t answer the phone. She was crying.

Task:Are the following statements true or false? If they are false, correct them.

a) Marsha and Felix hadn’t known each other long when they got married.

b) Felix hadn’t moved into her flat before she told her parents about the wedding.

c) Her parents were angry because she hadn’t told them about the wedding.

Ex. 2.Complete the following sentences and explain the usage of the tense.

Model: He wasn’t a stranger. – I (meet) him once before in this club.

– I had met him once before in this club.

1. I saw from his face that he (receive) bad news.

2. He wanted to take the photos that he (leave) to be developed, but they (not to be) ready yet.

3. I told my boss that I (do) enough work for one day.

4. Mother wondered who (leave) the door of the house open the previous night.

5. I was sure I (send) the cheque a week before, but I (not to do) it.

6. I felt that I (know) her all my life, but I didn’t remember where I (see or meet) her.

7. I felt very upset because of Father (say), but I tried not to think of what (happen).

8. When I (write) all my business letters, I did some gardening.

9. The girl was happy after her parents (present) her a cat.

10. She went out before I (realize) what was happening.

11. Many great men (die) before their names (become) known all over the world.

12. He told me somebody (phone) when I (be) out.

Ex. 3Combine two sentences into one using the Past Perfect and conjunctions when, after, before, by the time, as soon as, because, if necessary.

Model: The patient died. The doctor arrived.

The patient had died before the doctor arrived.

or:

The doctor arrived when the patient had died.

1. I took the book back to the library. I read it.

___________________

2. The students did the experiment. They wrote the report on it.

___________________

3. My brother saved enough money. He bought a motorbike.

___________________

4. The children did their homework. Their mother allowed them to play computer games.

___________________

5. I came to the office. The manager didn’t sign the documents.

___________________

6. I paid all my bills. I had very little money left.

___________________

7. They took a decision on the main issue. They discussed many other questions.

___________________

8. She looked nice and sunburnt. She spent her holiday at the seaside.

____________________

9. She changed her address. Nobody knew about it.

____________________

10. I learnt the news. I called him.

____________________

11. He lived alone. His wife died some years ago.

____________________

12. They made progress in English. They spent some years in England.

____________________

Self Check

Ex. 4.Open the brackets using the proper form of the verb. Explain the usage of the tense.

1. My friend (not to see) me for many years when I met him last week. I didn’t recognize him at first as he (change) greatly.

2. The fire (spread) to the next building before the firemen arrived.

3. When the plane landed, the pilot found out that one of the wings (be damaged) by a shell.

4. He boasted that he (catch) a young lion and (shoot) two others.

5. The politician declared that his party always (stand) for social security.

6. After she (work) at the hospital for two years, she decided to give up the job.

7. When my grandfather grew old, he often spoke about all the things he (do) when he (be) young.

8. By the end of last year he (read) all Shakespeare’s plays.

9. He (know) her for a long time before he finally got married to her.

10. I read in yesterday’s paper that somebody (steal) a picture from the museum and the police (not to find) anybody yet.

11. He was happy. He (sign) an important contract.

12. Hardly I (arrive) when I had a new problem to cope with.

Ex. 5.Complete the following situations using the appropriate tense.

1. I went to Jane’s house, but she wasn’t there. She (go out).

2. I offered Bill something to eat but he wasn’t hungry. (He/just/have/breakfast).

3. He was very pleased to see me again after such a long time. (We/not to see/each other/5 years).

4. We went to the cinema last night. We arrived there too late. (The film/already/start).

5. I invited her to my birthday party but she couldn’t come. (She/arrange/to do something else).

6. We arrived at work in the morning. Somebody broke into the office during the night. (We/call/the police/because…).

7. We played tennis yesterday. I wasn’t very good at it. (It/be/the first/time/I/play/tennis).

8. The man sitting next to me on the plane was very nervous. It was his first flight. (He/never/fly/before).

9. We got home. The house was very quiet. (Everybody/go/to bed).

10. I arrived. Ann left. (When/I/arrive/Ann/leave/already).

11. I got there. They locked the gate. (By the time/I/get/there …).

12. She did the washing. The machine wasn’t working. (By the time/I/come/home…).

Ex. 6.Use the proper form of the verbs in brackets. Retell the text.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1467