PAST SIMPLE

VS. PAST
PERFECT SIMPLE
G R A M M A R WO R K S H O P
P R E - I N T E R M E D I AT E , W E E K 0 7 1
her boss be angry just have lunch

have a haircut can’t buy a ticket

be late for work her dog run away

leave my purse at P U T T H E AC T I O N S I N
be not hungry LOGIC AL PAIRS AND
home
D E C I D E W H I C H AC T I O N
buy a new car live in Asia for 5 years I N E AC H PA I R H A P P E N E D
F I R S T.

get married save enough money

not close the front settle down in

door Europe
be together for 10
not recognise her
years 2
She had been late for work so
her boss was really angry.

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PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
structure
[+] subject + had + Past
Participle/3rd form
[-] subject + hadn’t + Past
Participle/3rd form
[?] had + subject + Past
Participle/3rd form
PAST SIMPLE structure
[+] subject + Past Simple
form/2nd form
[-] subject + didn’t + infinitive
form
[?] did + subject + infinitive form

We use these tenses to:

• show the chronology of the events (event 1 – Past Perfect
Simple, event 2 – Past Simple)
e.g. I had worked for the company for 10 years before I decided to
give up my job.
• show the connection between the past reason (Past Perfect
Simple) and the past result (Past Simple)
e.g. She had broken her leg and couldn’t take part in the Olympic
Games.
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 EVENT 1 EVENT 2

just have lunch be not hungry

have a haircut not recognise her

be late for work her boss be angry

leave my purse at home can’t buy a ticket

live in Asia for 5 years settle down in Europe

save enough money buy a new car

not close the front door her dog run away

be together for 10 years get married 5

What had happened?

They felt so happy because ______________________ . 6

What had happened?

He felt so tired yesterday evening because ______________________ . 7

What had happened?

She came back home with no money because ______________________ . 8

What had happened?

The man had a stomachache because ______________________ . 9

What had happened?

She felt upset because ______________________ . 10

What had happened?

She lost weight because ______________________ . 11

What had happened?

The girl was scared because ______________________ . 12

What had happened?

She couldn’t close the suitcase because ______________________ . 13

What had happened?

There were really busy because ______________________ . 14

What had happened?

She felt sleepy because ______________________ . 15

1. ________ they did their English homework, they had spent 3
hours surfing the Internet.
2. We had eaten all snacks ________ the guests arrived.
3. ________ Monica had graduated from the faculty of Business, she
decided to do PhD.
FILL IN THE GAPS WITH
4. Unfortunately Sarah had left the party ________ Tom came. WORDS BEFORE OR
5. ________ he had broken his right leg second time, he couldn’t ski AFTER.
for the next two seasons.
6. I understood the task ________ the teacher had explained it to
me.
7. He had published his book ________ his wife became famous.
8. Did he visit you ________ you had told him about the money?

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1. She ____________ (faint) because she heard her brother
____________ (have) an accident.
2. Oleh ____________ (visit) Berlin 5 times before he
____________ (move) there for good.
3. How long ____________ (you know) him before you
____________ (decide) to offer him a job?
4. They ____________ (go) for a drink after they ____________ COMPLETE THE GAPS
(finish) a hard day at work. WITH THE CORRECT
5. After they all ____________ (arrive), they ____________ (have)
FORM OF THE VERBS IN
family dinner.
6. Tom ____________ (see) a car accident so he ____________ B R AC K E T S . U S E PA S T
(call) the police. SIMPLE OR PAST
7. Paula ____________ (be) sad because her partner PERFECT SIMPLE.
____________ (not reply) to any of her emails.
8. He ____________ (have) the cold for two weeks before he
____________ (go) to the doctor.
9. She ____________ (feel) terribly thirsty after she
____________ (spend) all day on the beach.
10. Farida ____________ (watch) the film before so she
____________ (go) to bed.
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1. Why ______________ (you come) to this lesson?
2. Why ______________ (you start) this course?
3. ______________ (you study) English before you
______________ (come) to Speak Up School?
4. ______________ (you take) any exams in English before you
______________ (come) to Speak Up School? COMPLETE THE GAPS
5. ______________ (you meet) any native speakers before you WITH THE CORRECT
______________ (come) to Speak Up? FORM OF THE VERBS.

6. Where ______________ (you spend) last summer?

7. ______________ (you be) at work yesterday?
8. What ______________ (you eat) before you ______________
(come) to Speak Up today?
9. Where ______________ (you meet) your best friend?
10. ______________ (you go) to the cinema last weekend?
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1. Where __________________________________________
here?
He had lived in Warsaw for a few years before he moved here.

2. Why __________________________________________?
She was angry because she had failed the test again.
M A K E S U I TA B L E
3. __________________________________________ before QU E S T I O N S TO T H E
you met her? ANSWERS.
No, she hadn’t known my husband before I met her.

4. How long ________________ the car before

______________________?
He had had his car for 5 months only before it was stolen.

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5. ____________________________________ after they had
eaten supper?
No, they didn’t eat anything.

6. Had __________________________________________ sushi

before?
Yes, she had eaten sushi in Japan actually.
M A K E S U I TA B L E
QU E S T I O N S TO T H E
7. Why __________________________________________? ANSWERS.
He cried because they hadn’t let him see his ill mum.

8. Did _________________________________ after they had

won $ 1,000,000?
Yes, they moved to a new house.

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