LANGUAGE SUBSKILLS

The Past Perfect

A. The Past Participle.

Simple form Simple Past Past Participle

finish Finished Finished
Reguler Verbs Stop Stopped Stopped
wait Waited Waited

see saw seen

Irreguler Verbs do did done
cut cut cut

B. Forms of The Present Perfect.

Statement : HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE

a. I had finished my work

b. The students had finished chapter 5
c. Jim had eaten lunch

Negative : HAD+NOT+PAST PATICIPLE

a. I hadn’t finished my work

b. The students hadn’t finished chapter 5
c. Jim hadn’t eaten lunch

Question : HAD+SUBJECT+PAST PARTICIPLE

a. Had you finished your work?

b. Had the students finished chapter 5?
c. Had Jim eaten lunch?

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 C. Compare (a) The Present Perfect and (b) The Past Perfect

a. I am not hungry now. The present perfect expresses an activity

I have already eaten. that occured “before now,” at an
unspecified time in the past.

b. I was not hungry at 1:00 P.M. The past activity expresses an activity that
I had already eaten occured before another time in the past.

In (b) : I ate at noon. I was not hungry at

1:P.M. because I had already eaten before
1:00 P.M.

Exercise :
Complete the sentences using the words in parentheses. Use the present prefect or the past perfect.

1. I am not hungry. I (eat,already) ____________

2. I was not hungry. I (eat, already)___________
3. It’s ten o’clock. I (finish,already) ___________ my homework, so I’m going to go to bed.
4. Last night, I went to bed at ten o’clock. I (finish,already)_______ my homework.
5. We’re late. Tha party (start,already)________