ACTION FINISHED BEFORE ANOTHER PAST ACTION

When we arrived, the film had started.

Use with: when + past simple, June, last Tuesday.

HOW LONG TO A POINT IN THE PAST

When he graduated, he had been in London for six years.

Use with: when + past simple, for + time.

UNREAL THINGS IN THE PAST

I wish I hadn't gone to bed so late!

Use with: third conditionals, wish.

We don't use the past perfect a lot in English, but it is useful, and it sounds very good if you can
use it correctly. Also, it's really easy to make - just the past simple of 'have' and the past
participle.

The positive - make it with 'had' + the past participle (usually made by adding 'ed' to the
infinitive, but a few verbs have irregular past participles).

• I had been (I'd been)

• You had gone (you'd gone)

• She had met (she'd met)

• He had played (he'd played)

• It had rained (it'd rained)

• We had bought (we'd bought)

• They had studied (they'd studied)

The short form for 'had' is 'd'.

(Be careful not to confuse it with 'would'. Would is followed by the infinitive - 'I'd go',
whereas had is followed by the past participle - 'I'd gone').

For the negative just add 'not':

• I had not been (I hadn't been)

• You had not gone (you hadn't gone)

• She had not met (she hadn't met)

• He had not played (he hadn't played)

 • It had not rained (it hadn't rained)

• We had not bought (we hadn't bought)

• They had not studied (they hadn't studied)

And to make a 'yes / no' question put 'had' before the subject:

• Had I come?

• Had you eaten?

• Had she gone?

• Had it rained?

• Had he studied?

• Had we met?

• Had they left?

For 'wh' questions put the question word at the beginning:

• When had I come?

• Why had you eaten?

• Where had she gone?

• When had it rained?

• Why had he studied?

• How had we met?

• When had they left?

 When should I use the Past Perfect Simple?

1. A finished action before a second point in the past.

 When we arrived, the film had started (= first the film started, then we arrived).

We usually use the past perfect to make it clear which action happened first. Maybe we are
already talking about something in the past and we want to mention something else that is
further back in time. This is often used to explain or give a reason for something in the past.

 I'd eaten dinner so I wasn't hungry.

 It had snowed in the night, so the bus didn't arrive.

If it's clear which action happened first (if we use the words 'before' or 'after', for example), the
past perfect is optional.

 The film started before we arrived / the film had started before we arrived.

2. Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or time in the past. The
past perfect tells us 'how long', just like the present perfect, but this time the action continues up
to a point in the past rather than the present. Usually we use 'for + time'. We can also use the
past perfect continuous here, so we most often use the past perfect simple with stative verbs.

 When he graduated, he had been in London for six years. (= He arrived in London six
years before he graduated and lived there until he graduated, or even longer.)
 On the 20th of July, I'd worked here for three months.

3. To talk about unreal or imaginary things in the past. In the same way that we use the past
simple to talk about unreal or imaginary things in the present, we use the past perfect (one step
back in time) to talk about unreal things in the past. This is common in the third conditional
and after 'wish'.

 If I had known you were ill, I would have visited you.

 She would have passed the exam if she had studied harder.
 I wish I hadn't gone to bed so late!
 Past Perfect Positive and Negative

Make the past perfect.

1. When I arrived at the cinema, the film (start).

2. She (live) in China before she went to Thailand.
3. After they (eat) the shellfish, they began to feel sick.
4. If you (listen) to me, you would have got the job.
5. Julie didn't arrive until after I (leave).
6. When we (finish) dinner, we went out.
7. The garden was dead because it (be) dry all summer.
8. He (meet) her before somewhere.
9. We were late for the plane because we (forgot) our passports.
10. She told me that she (study) a lot before the exam.
11. The grass was yellow because it (not / rain) all summer.
12. The lights went off because we (not / pay) the electricity bill.
13. The children (not / do) their homework, so they were in trouble.
14. They (not / eat) so we went to a restaurant.
15. We couldn't go into the concert because we (not / bring) our tickets.
16. She said that she (not / visit) the UK before.
17. Julie and Anne (not / meet) before the party.
18. I (not / have) breakfast when he arrived
19. He (not / use) email before, so I showed him how to use it.
20. You (not / study) for the test, so you were very nervous.
 Past Perfect Questions

Make past perfect simple 'yes / no' or 'wh-' questions.

1. (you / go) there before we went together?

2. (she / see) the film already?
3. Why (he / forgot) about the meeting?
4. (it / be) cold all week?
5. (I / read) the book before the class?
6. When she arrived, (we / eat) already?
7. Where (you / be) when I saw you?
8. (they / travel) by bullet train before?
9. (John / meet) Lucy before they went on holiday together?
10. (you / do) your homework before I saw you?
11. Where (she / work)?
12. (I / pay) the bill before we left?
13. (we / visit) my parents already that winter?
14. When you called, (they / eat) dinner?
15. How (he / manage) to fix the cooker?
16. (my sister / be) sick for a long time?
17. How much (she / study) before the exam?
18. What (you / cook) for dinner that night?
19. When (they / arrive)?
20. How many coffees (she / drink) before the
interview?
 Past Perfect and Past Simple

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.
 Irregular Past Participles (Part 1)

Make the past participle of the verb.

1. Julie wasn't at home. She had (go) to the shops.

2. We've already (have) lunch.
3. This was the first time she had (do) her homework
4. They have (begin) painting the living room.
5. We have (keep) this secret for three years.
6. He has never (drive) a motorbike before.
7. I have (be) sick all week.
8. By the time we arrived, the children had (eat) all
the chocolate.
9. The books had (fall) off the table, and were all over
the floor.
10. A: Are you okay? B: I've (feel) better.
11. I'd (lend) my umbrella to John, so I got wet.
12. I've been looking for ages, but I haven't (find) my
keys yet.
13. The birds have (fly) south for the winter.
14. She has finally (come).
15. Don't worry, we haven't (forget) about the meeting.
16. It had (become) very cold, so we went inside.
17. You have (buy) a lot of new clothes recently.
18. I'd (get) a lovely new bike for my birthday, so I was keen
to try it.
19. She'd (bring) a cake to the party, but we didn't eat it.
20. Have you (choose) your university yet?
21. Have you ever (drink) Turkish coffee?
22. I've (give) some money to Julia.
23. Had you (hear) of this band before you came to the USA?
24. She has (know) about the problem for three months.
25. Why has John (leave) already?
 Irregular Past Participles (Part 2)
Make the past participle.

1. She has never (let) her daughter have a boyfriend.

2. Have you already (read) today's newspaper?
3. The house has been (sell).
4. He has (lose) his wallet again.
5. I have (write) three essays this week.
6. That clock was (make) in Switzerland.
7. He had (run) six miles when he hurt his ankle.
8. I have never (see) such a beautiful view.
9. He has (teach) hundreds of students during his career.
10. Have you ever (meet) a famous person?
11. Because she hadn't (pay) the bill, the electricity went off.
12. They have (send) Christmas cards to all their friends.
13. Where have we (put) the car keys?
14. We have never (sing) in public before.
15. She had (wear) her blue dress many times.
16. John had never (speak) English before he came
to London.
17. Why have you (stand) up? Are we leaving?
18. Have you ever (swim) in the Atlantic Ocean?
19. It had (take) three hours to reach the station, so they missed
the train.
20. I have never (say) that I didn't love you.
21. David jumped into the air. He had (sit) on a drawing pin.
22. The weatherman had (tell) us it would be sunny, but it rained
all day.
23. I'm sorry I'm so tired. I haven't (sleep).
24. Have you (think) about changing jobs?
25. He'd thought he had (understand) the problem, but now he
realised he had made a mistake.