The Past Perfect

and
The Past Perfect Progressive

Past Perfect
Use the past perfect when one action
in the past happened before another
action in the past. Use the first action
in the past perfect and the second
action in the simple past.

Past Perfect
had + past participle
It is used to talk about actions that were

completed at an unspecified time before

another past action (at different times).
I had already done my homework when
my mother arrived.

With before, by the time, until and when

the verb is in the simple past.

With after the verb is the past perfect

Past Perfect
It is used only when a clear
relationship exists with an event in
simple past time. It indicates that an
action was completed before another
one in the past.
When I arrived at the party, everyone
had left.

Because the past perfect means

before, it must relate a past event to
another past event or time.
Steve had just dropped a bag of groceries
when Marie came into the kitchen.
He had not finished the housework when
we arrived.

EVER, NEVER (experiences before a

specific time in the past)
She had never seen a him before
they met two weeks ago.
That was the worst scene she had
ever seen.
YET (not completed before a specific
time in the past)
When she met her boss, she hadnt
completed the project yet.

STILL (not completed before a specific

time in the past)
She still hadnt repaired her watch, so
she didnt know the time.
ALREADY (completed a long time before
a specific time in the past)
They had already eaten, so they didnt
feel hungry.
JUST (completed a short time before a
specific time in the past)
When the student entered the class,
the teacher had just started talking.

Use because to connect sentences.

1. His car broke down.
He took the bus.
________________________________________
2. Charlotte was depressed.
She failed her English exam.
________________________________________
3. We didnt eat all day.
We were really hungry.
________________________________________
4. We studied hard for three weeks.
We thought the test was easy.
________________________________________
__
5. Neville couldnt sleep.
He drank several cups of very strong coffee.

1. He took the bus because his car had broken

down.
2. Charlotte was depressed because she had
failed her English exam.
3. We were really hungry because we hadnt
eaten all day.
4. We thought the test was easy because we had
studied hard for three weeks.
5. Neville couldnt sleep because he had drunk
several cups of strong coffee.

Past perfect progressive

had + been + ing

It is used to talk about actions that were

in progress up to another past action or

time. When I looked out of the window
yesterday, everywhere was white. It had
been snowing for hours.

It expresses a sense that the action was

ongoing and is often used with for, since,

all day, all night

Past Perfect Progressive

It tells us about the length of the
action and the specific point when it
ended. It occurs with since or for to
specify the duration of the action.
I had been playing for two hours when I
fell and twisted my ankle.

When the race started, it was raining and

the streets were wet.
(the action is emphasized)
When the race started, it had been raining
for an hour and the streets were wet.
(the duration of the action is emphasized)

Explain the difference in meaning

A. When the phone rang, I was eating a
sandwich.
B. When the phone rang, I ate a sandwich.
C. When the phone rang, I had eaten a
sandwich.
D. When the phone rang, I was going to eat a
sandwich.
E. When the phone rang, I had been eating a
sandwich.

Put the verbs in brackets into the

appropriate past forms.
1. Bill _____ (paint) his front door when
the telephone _____ (start) ringing. He
_____ (answer) the phone and _____
(speak) to his friend. Later he _____
(notice) that he _____ (leave) red
fingerprints all over the phone.

Put the verbs in brackets into the

appropriate past forms.
1. Bill was painting his front door when
the telephone started ringing. He
answered the phone and spoke to his
friend. Later he noticed that he had left
red fingerprints all over the phone.

Put the verbs in brackets into the

appropriate past forms.
2. _____ (Tony/ring) you last
night?
Yes. He _____(wait) for days for
you to phone him but since you
_____ (not/phone) he _____ (sell)
his motorbike to someone else.

Put the verbs in brackets into the

appropriate past forms.
2. Did Tony ring you last night?
Yes. He had been waiting for days
for you to phone him but since you
hadnt phoned he had sold his
motorbike to someone else.

THE END!