THE PAST PERFECT TENSE

To form the Past Perfect Tense we usehad 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 into the correct form (Past Perfect simple).

A. My little brother ate all of the cake that I _____________________ (make).

B. The waitress brought a dish that we _____________________ (not / order) .

C. Last night I couldn't get in because I _____________________ (forget) my keys.

D. When we arrived at the station, the train _____________________ (go).

E. They didn't have any money because they _____________________ (pay) all the bills.

F. We had a big party because we _____________________ (pass) all our exams.

G. I got to the cinema at 6.30 but fortunately the film ____________________ (not start) .

H. I was exhausted because I _____________________ (study) too much.

Exercise 2: Put the Past Simple or the Past Perfect.

1. When their mum _______________ (come) home last night, the children

_______________ (eat) their dinner.

2. Yesterday I _______________ (see) a woman who _______________ (be) at school

with my grandfather. Isn't it strange?

3. It started to rain and I _______________ (remember) that I _______________ (forget)

to close my bedroom window.

4. I _______________ (find) a book that I ______ never _______________ (read)

5. We _______________ (try) to change the plane tickets but it was too late they ______

already ___________ (edit) the boarding pass.

6. I _______________ (think) I _______________ (met) this girl before.

Exercise 3:Fill the gaps with the verb in brackets using the Past Perfect.

1. By the time we got to the cinema the film _________________ (start), so we missed

the first five minutes.

2. When I rang the bell there was no answer. The neighbour told me that they

__________________ (go) about half an hour ago.

3. I saw New York for the first time last night. I __________________ (not see) it before.

4. There was so much to see in London. I ___________________ (plan) to see a lot of

things but there wasn't enough time. I'll have to come back.

5. If she _______________________ (take) my advice, it wouldn't have happened.

6. We wouldn't have had an argument, if they _______________ (not mention) politics.

7. If you _______________ (not park) there, you wouldn't have got a parking fine.

8. John told me he _______________ (buy) a new car.

9. When we arrived in Ireland, the airline company _______________ (lose) our luggage,

so we had to wait two days to get it back. Fortunately they delivered it to the hotel.

Exercise 4:Circle the correct answers:

1. I didn't recognise / hadn't recognised Sue, because she cut / had cut her hair.

2. I arrived / had arrived at the shop at 6.45, but it already closed / had already closed.

3. David didn't play / hadn't played the match because he hurt / had hurt his leg.

4. When I looked / had looked everywhere for my car keys, I started / had started to panic.

5. When he had finished / finished his dinner he sat down / had sat down to watch TV.

6. It was / had been a film I didn't see / hadn't seen before.

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 1091