The practice of past perfect and past simple:

1. Choose the past perfect, or the past simple:

1. We had already eaten when John __________________(come) home.
2. Last year Juan _______________________________ (pass) all his exams.
3. When I ___________________(get) to the airport I discovered I had forgotten my passport.
4. I went to the library, then I ______________________ (buy) some milk and went home.
5. I opened my handbag to find that I _________________________ (forgot) my credit card.
6. When we ____________________ (arrive) at the station, the train had already left.
7. We got home to find that someone _____________________ (break) into the house.
8. I opened the fridge to find someone ________________________ (eat) all my chocolate.
9. I had known my husband for three years when we ____________________ (get) married.
10. Julie was very pleased to see that John__________________________ (clean) the kitchen.
11. It __________________________ (not / rain) all summer, so the grass was completely dead.
12. When he ________________________________ (arrive) at the party, Julie had just left.
13. After arriving home, I realised I ________________________________ (not / buy) any milk.
14. The laundry was wet – it _____________________ (rain) while I was out.
15. William felt ill last night because he _______________________ (eat) too many cakes.
16. Keiko ________________________________ (meet) William last September.
17. First I tidied the flat, then I ________________________________ (sit) down and had a cup of coffee.
18. John __________________________ (play) the piano when he was a child, but he doesn’t play now.
19. When I opened the curtains the sun was shining but the ground was white. It _______ (snow) during the night.
20. When Julie got home from her holiday, her flat was a mess. John_______________________ (have) a party.

2. Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or past perfect simple).

1. When he ___________ (wake up) , his mother _____________ (already / prepare) breakfast.
2. We __________ (go) to London because the Queen ___________ (invite) us for tea.
3. He ____________ (hear) the news, __________(go) to the telephone and ___________(call) a friend.
4. When she __________ (start) to learn English, she _________ (already / learn) French.
5. Jane __________ (already / type) ten pages when her computer _______ (crash).
6. By the time he _____ (arrive) at the pub, they ______ (run) out of beer.
7. Before that day we _________(never / think) of going to Japan.
8. I _____ (know) him for a long time before I _______ (meet) his family.
9. They _______ (not / know) where to meet because nobody _______ (tell) them.
10. It ______ (be) cloudy for days before it finally _______(begin) to rain.

3. Fill in past simple or past perfect simple.

1. After they ____________ (see) the Tower, they ___________ (go) to Westminster Abbey.
2. He _________ (ask) me which animals I __________ (see) in Africa.
3. After Columbus _____________ (discover) America, he __________ (return) to Spain.
4. Before they _____________ (move) to Liverpool, they ___________ (sell) everything.
5. After he ________ (work) very hard, he __________(fall) ill.
6. She ________ (open) the box after she ________ (find) the key.
7. They ___________ (go) to a restaurant after they ________________ (sail).
8. Before they _____________ (start) the party, they __________ (invite) some friends.
9. After she _________ (wash) the curtains, she ____________ (clean) the windows.
10. They _________ (go) for a sightseeing tour after the bus _____________ (arrive).
11. Before he _________ (mow) the lawn, he __________ (pick) some roses.
12. After he ________ (finish) school, he _________ (work) for a magazine.
13. They ____________ (drink) a cup of tea after they _____________ (finish) lunch.
14. He __________(ask) me for her telephone number before he ___________(phone) her.
15. My sister _______ (eat) all the chocolate before my parents __________(come) home.