You will learn how to:

 Talk about past perfect tense

GUIDE 5
TALKING ABOUT PAST PERFECT TENSE

READING AND WRITING: Affirmative and negative sentences

Yesterday was valentine’s day, Rita’s boyfriend, Tom came for dinner at 5:00.
RITA’S SCHEDULE YESTERDAY

TIME ACTIVITY
10:00 1. Clean the house
12:30 2. Buy groceries
2:00 3. Bake a cake
3:00 4. Cook a roast
4:00 5. Prepare the vegetables
4:30 6. Set the table
5:30 7. Make a salad
6:00 8. Choose some romantic
music
6:30 9. Make a fire
7:00 10. Light the candles
7:30 11. Serve the meal

A. Make sentences with the past perfect tense to tell what Rita had already done when Tom arrived and
what she hadn’t done yet.
Example: “When Tom arrived, Rita had already cleaned the house.”
1. _________________________________________________________________________________.
2. _________________________________________________________________________________.
3. _________________________________________________________________________________.
4. _________________________________________________________________________________.
5. _________________________________________________________________________________.
6. _________________________________________________________________________________.
7. _________________________________________________________________________________.
8. _________________________________________________________________________________.
9. _________________________________________________________________________________.
10. _________________________________________________________________________________.
GRAMMAR AND USE OF ENGLISH

B. Choose the correct verb from the list below to complete the following sentences. Put the verb in
the past perfect tense. (Use HAD+ PAST PARTICIPLE)

make start write leave forget fly scape close give

ring eat change go see

1. When I got to the house, Mary wasn’t there. She _________ already ______________.
2. I didn’t recognize my old classmate because she __________________________ so much.
3. We were late for the show last night. By the time we got to the theater, the movie
_____________already _______________.
4. Yesterday I went on my first plane trip. I was very nervous because I ________________ never
_____________ before.
5. I couldn’t eat much dinner last night because I _______________such a big lunch.
6. I couldn’t buy any groceries last night because when I got to the supermarket, it
________________already ___________.
7. Last week our teacher gave back the essays we ___________________the week before.
8. The house was quiet when Andrew got home. Everyone _________________to bed seven hours later.
9. They got to school late yesterday. The bell __________________already ___________________:
10. Daniela couldn’t come to my house last night because she ________________already
_______________ other plans.
11. We couldn’t find the house. It was clear that he ______________________ us the wrong add address.
12. Andrea didn’t want to come to the movie with us because she ___________________________it the
week before.
13. By the time the police arrived at the bank, the robber ______________________already
___________________.
14. I couldn’t get into my apartment when I came home from work last night because I _______________to
take my key.
 LISTENING

1. Listen to five different people talking about their job and do the exercises to practice and improve your
listening skills.

Preparation
Do this exercise before you listen. Write the correct word in the boxes below the picture.

Shop assistant teacher dentist cleaner tour guide doctor pilot nurse

2. Check your understanding: gap fill

Do this exercise while you listen. Complete the gaps with a word from the box.

Pilot dentist shop assistant tour guide nurse

1. Speaker A works as a _____________________________.

2. Speaker B works as a _____________________________.

3. Speaker C works as a _____________________________.

4. Speaker D works as a _____________________________.

5. Speaker E works as a _____________________________.

3. Check your understanding: Multiple choice
Does this exercise while you listen? Circle the best answer for these questions.

1. Does speaker A enjoy his job? 5. Does speaker C like his job?
a) Yes. a) Yes.
b) Sometimes. b) Sometimes.
c) No. c) No.
2. When does speaker A work? 6. What does speaker D say is difficult about
a) When he is at university being a pilot?
b) Weekends a) Travelling to many countries
c) Summer holidays b) Learning many languages
3. When does speaker B work? c) Flying planes in bad weather
a) Weekdays 7. What does speaker D say is the best thing
b) Weekends and holidays about his job?
c) Summer holidays a) Visiting different places
4. What does speaker B say tourist love b) Meeting different people
doing? c) The different weather
a) Visiting universities 8. What does speaker E not like about her
b) Taking a boat trip job?
c) Swimming in the river a) The doctors
b) The sick people
c) The uniform

GRAMMAR

PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (CONTINUOUS) TENSE

AUXILIA AUXILIA
SUBJEC MAIN COMPL
RY RY
T VERB .
VERB VERB

+ I had been working.

+ You had been playing tennis.

- It had not been working well.

- We had not been expecting her.

? Had you been drinking?

? Had they been waiting long?

 The first auxiliary verb (have) is conjugated in the Past Simple, invariable: had
 The second auxiliary verb (be) is invariable in past participle form: been
 The main verb is invariable in present participle form: -ing
 For negative sentences we insert not after the first auxiliary verb.
 For question sentences, we exchange the subject and the first auxiliary verb.
Let’s Practice!
1. Use the information provided below to make sentences with present perfect progressive tense.

plan eat sit burn fight lose rain smoke wait

give look date work look forward to

1. When the boys came home, both had black eyes. They had been fighting.
2. Mary’s mouth was all red. She ______________________________ a strawberry ice cream.
3. When I woke up this morning, the sun was shining, but the ground was all wet. It __________________
during the night.
4. The firemen finally put out the fire. It ______________________for several hours before they arrived.
5. When I went to Carol’s house yesterday, her hands were covered in mud. She
______________________________ in the garden for a few hours before I got there.
6. Michael bought a new computer last week because his old one _______________________________
him trouble for quite some time.
7. Mr. Jones finally had to close his business. It __________________________ money for several years.
8. The police _____________________________ for the thief for six months before they finally caught
him.
9. It is too bad that Cathy had to cancel her trip last week. She __________________________ it for such
a long time.
10. Larry _________________________ on the corner for Patty for over an hour before she finally arrived.
11. When I went home last night, I could smell cigarettes in the house. Somebody ____________________
before I got home.
12. Bob ______________________________ Mary for over two years before she finally broke up with him.
13. Marcia was very disappointed when we had to cancel our lunch date. She _______________________
it for a long time.
14. I ___________________________in the waiting room for over an hour before the doctor finally arrived.