happened before another past action or before a stated past time. e.g: I had had a shower, then I left home. After she had told me that she was ill, I did not get angry with her for not coming. TIME EXPRESSIONS OF PAST PERFECT TENSE after: First, Brad Pitt acted in the movie, “Seven Years in Tibet” Then, the Government of China banned his entrance to China.
After Brad Pitt acted in the movie, “Seven Years in Tibet”, the Government of China banned his entrance to China.
After + Past Perfect , Past tense
Before: First, the producers of the film had considered Brad Pitt for the main role. Then, Keanu Reeves took the main role in the Matrix.
Before Keanu Reeves took the main role in the Matrix,
the producers of the film had considered Brad Pitt for the main role.
Before + Simple Past, Past perfect
By the time/ When: First, Julia Roberts changed her name from Julie to Julia. Then, Julia Roberts became a famous movie star.
By the time/ when Julia Roberts became a famous
movie star, she had (already) changed her name from Julie to Julia.
By the time/When + Simple Past, Past perfect
As soon as:
First, Brad began to work in a TV firm Then, Brad got his first role in the movie “Thelma and Louise”.
As soon as Brad had began to work in a TV firm,
he got his first role in the movie “Thelma and Louise”.
As soon as + Past Perfect , Past tense
SOME EXAMPLES: First, we ate at the cafeteria. Then, we went to class. (after) After we had eaten at the cafeteria, we went to class.
First, Juan made himself a sandwich. Then,
he poured some tea. (after) After Juan had made himself a sandwich, he poured some tea. PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS •The past perfect continuous tense is like the past perfect tense, but it expresses longer actions in the past before another action in the past. •For example: Ram started waiting at 9am. I arrived at 11am. When I arrived, Ram had been waiting for two hours. Complete the sentences with the words in brackets and use past forms saw I............(see) was living my first baseball game when I................... (live) in New York. had he drunk How many glass of beer........................(drink) before left He ................(leave) the pub? was raining It .....................(rain) decided (decide) to stay at so we.................. home all afternoon. left had been By the time I .................(leave) university I .................(be) to France fifteen times. were you doing What ........................(you/do) at the time the murder was committed? got When we....................(get) home we saw that had broken (break) in to steal the video. someone................
had lost (lose) my credit card
I didn't realise I................ tried until I............... (try) to pay for something. was writing I ..................(write) an email to my sister when rang she........................ (ring) me. arrived When I....................(arrive) at the station, the train had already left .................................(already-leave). lit We...........................(light) the candles because the lights had gone off (go off). .......................... When I got home I discovered ..................(discover) that somebody had broken into .................................(break into) my flat. had died The patient.................(die) reached before the ambulance............... (reach) the hospital. had eaten John..........................(eat) all the cakes by the time the other arrived children....................(arrive). PAST PERFECT TENSE OR PAST SIMPLE TENSE had finished After Jim and Terry 1).......................(finish) their breakfast, took they 2.).................(take) went their bags and 3.).................(go) to the had gone river to fish. They 4.).....................(go) there before and caught 5.)...................(catch) some big fish. By 5 o’clock they hadn’t got 6.)...................(not/get) any fish, so they decided to go home. They had promised 7.)........................(promise)their mother to bring fish for dinner, looked so they 8.)..................(look) for a shop where they could buy some had already closed (already/close). When they but the shops 9.)................................. arrived 10.).....................(arrive) told home, they 11.)...................(tell) their had caught mother that they 12.).......................(catch) the biggest fish they had ever seen 13.)........................(ever/see) escaped but it 14.).........................(escape). Now that’s your time, let’s complete the sentences: He had lost his pen 1.) Ben couldn’t write the letter because,..................................... 2.) Jane missed the train because,.......................................... 3.) He couldn’t pay the electricity bill because,......................... 4.) She failed her exam because,...................................... 5.) She was sad because,................................................. 6.) His hands were dirty because,............................................. 7.) He was wet, because....................................................... 8.) They were hungry because,................................................... 9.) He had a stomach-ache because,............................................ 10.) They were tired, because......................................................... 11.) Jenifer got sunburnt because,.................................................