MEETING XII

PAST PERFECT TENSE

The use of past perfect

The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred

before another action in the past. It can also show that something
happened before a specific time in the past.

For example:
1. Before I went to school, I had eaten a big breakfast.
2. I did not have any money because I had lost my
wallet.
3. Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had
visited the city several times.
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Past Perfect is used to show that something started in the past

and continued up until another action in the past.
Example:
1. We had had that car for ten years before it broke
down.
2. By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in
London for over eight years.
3. They felt bad about selling the house because
they had owned it for more than forty years.
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Passive Voice:
1. George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's
license.
2. Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his
mechanic's license.
Exercise:
Change the word in brackets into past or past perfect
tense!
I can't believe I (get) that apartment. I (submit) my
application last week, but I didn't think I had a chance of
actually getting it. When I (show) up to take a look around,
there were at least twenty other people who (arrive) before
me. Most of them (fill, already) out their applications and were
already leaving. The landlord said I could still apply, so I did.
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There are other phrases that are commonly

used with the past perfect: By, by the time,
and when. Those phrases mean before.
Take a look at the following examples:
1. By 3:30, Carol had already gotten home.
2. By the time Carol got home, Sam had
already cooked dinner.
3. When Carol got home, Sam had already
cooked dinner.
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The question of the past perfect is formed by putting
question words (what, where, when, etc) in the beginning of
the sentence before subject and adding had between the
past participle.
Write some questions indicate to the underlined words!
Example: My father had built an antique wooden house
before he moved to the village five years ago.
1.Who ……………………………………………….
2.What ………………………………………………
3.Where…………………………………………….
4.When……………………………………………..
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Read and rewrite the following sentences using the past
perfect. Combine the sentences using the word or phrase
given.
1. First : Bill bought a house in Barcelona.
Second : Mary moved to Barcelona.
Phrase or Word : Before
2. First : The children finished dinner.
Second : They ate ice cream.
Phrase or Word : After
3. First : Millions of Native Americans (American
Indians) were in North America for thousands of
years.
Second : Christopher Columbus landed in North
America in 1492.
Phrase or Word : When
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4. First : In 1753, Jean-François Pilatre de

Rozier became the world’s first human
flier by using a balloon.
Second : The Wright Brothers flew their first
plane on December 17, 1903.
Phrase or Word : By the time

5. First : The world went from the Wright

Brothers’ first flight in Kitty Hawk to the
moon.
Second : 1970
Phrase or Word : By
MULTIPLE CHOICE EXERCISE

Choose the correct answers.

1. ‘Was Tom there when you arrived?” “No he ……
home.
a. have gone c. had gone e. going
b. go d. is gone

2. I felt very tired when I got home, so I …..straight

to bed.
a. went c. have gone e. goes
b. go d. am going
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3. The house was very quiet when I got home. Everybody

….to bed.
a. have went c. had gone e. going
b. has gone d. was gone

4. Sorry I’m late. The car …. down on my way here.

a. have broken c. Broke e. breaking
b. was break d. is broken

5. I wasn’t hungry, I ….just …..lunch.

a. has, have c. had, had e. was, has
b. am, had d. have, had
ANSWER KEY
MULTIPLE CHOICE EXERCISE
1. C
2. A
3. B
4. D
5. B