Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect, also called the pluperfect, is a verb tense used to talk about actions that
were completed before some point in the past.

The past perfect tense is for talking about something that happened before something
else.

Structure of the past perfect tense

Affirmative sentences:

S + had + V3/-ed

Example: John had worked as a worker for 20 years before he retired at 60.

Negative Sentences:

S + had not + V3/-ed

Example: Diana hadn’t finished her work before she came to the party.

Questions:

Had + S + V3/-ed?

Example: Had Diana finished her work before she came to the party?

Time Expressions:

 Until then, before, after, prior to that time, by the time, for, as soon as, by
 When, when by, by the end of + time in the past

- I had never seen such a beautiful sunset before I went to the island.

- After Sofie had finished her work, she went to lunch.

- Delia had just left the scene when the ambulance arrived.
I. Verb Form
1. After the company __________ Joe, he began to work on his first project. (hire)

2. _____ you _______ the news before you saw it on TV? (hear)

3. Michael didn’t want to see the movie because he ____________ the book yet. (not
read)

4. The concert ____________ already ____________ when we ____________ the

stadium. (begin/enter)

5. Until Anne ________ Mark, she ____ never ______ in love. (meet/be)

6. Bill __________ for years before he finally _______. (smoke/quit)

7. ____________ Sara ever ____________ to London by herself before then? (drive)

8. How many fish ____________ the boys ____________ by the time it started raining?
(catch)

9. You ____________ them to go to the beach, hadn’t you? (forbid)

10. The girls ____________ in weeks? That’s why they ____________ so much
afterward. (exercise/hurt)

II. Use Past Simple or Past Perfect:

1. The robbers (left/had left) the bank when the policemen finally (arrived/had
arrived).

2. When it (started/had started) to rain, John (finished/had finished) planting trees.

3. By the time Minae (went/ had gone) into the store, she (drop/had dropped) his
wallet.

4. Darcey (saw/ had seen) this building before she (returned/had returned) last week
5. Mr.Palmer (didn’t speak/hadn’t spoken) any French before he (moved/ had moved)
to Paris.

6. Sonny (got fainted/had got fainted) by the time the ambulance (reached/ had
reached) the hospital

7. When my mother (brought/ had brought) me an apple, I (finished/ had finished) my

homework.

8. Mrs.Wilkinson (refused/ had refused) to drive the car because she (had/ had had) a
terrible accident on the highway about a year ago.

9. I (didn’t think/ hadn’t thought) of having a new house before I (saw/ had seen) that
ad on TV.

10. My uncle (didn’t try/ hadn’t tried) Italian food before he (went/ had gone) to that
restaurant.