Past

Perfect
Past Perfect

USE

The Past Perfect is used to describe a past action that was finished
before another past action happened.

Example:

Before we visited the Consumer Electronic Show, we had never seen any of
those cool new gadgets.
Past Perfect

USE

The Past Perfect is also used to show the cause of a past action.

Example:

Sam was very upset because he had lost his new mobile phone.
Past Perfect - Affirmative

Before it came to Lisbon, I had heard much about the Web Summit.

AUXILIARY VERB HAD + MAIN VERB IN THE PAST PARTICIPLE

I / You / He / She / It / We / You / They had (‘d) heard

Past Perfect - Negative

They were disappointed because they hadn’t spoken to the robot Sophia.

AUXILIARY VERB HAD

IN THE NEGATIVE + MAIN VERB IN THE PAST PARTICIPLE

I / You / He / She / It / We / You / They had not (hadn’t) spoken

Past Perfect - Interrogative

Had the tech conference finished by the time you arrived?

MAIN VERB IN THE

AUXILIARY VERB HAD + SUBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE

Had I / you / he / she / it / we / you / they finished…?

Match the two halves of the sentences.

1. My grandfather was quite a) IBM had already released

frustrated the first smartphone.

2. Before I downloaded the b) my brother had already

app, fixed the laptop.

3. When Apple launched the c) because he had never set

iPhone, up a smart TV.

4. By the time I called the d) because he hadn’t

computer repair technician, charged it.

5. His phone didn’t work e) I had never used the

company's service.
Put the verbs into the correct form of the Past Perfect.

1. She ______________
hadn’t read (not read) many books before she got the
tablet.

had forgotten (forget) the power bank

2. He found out that he ______________
when he opened his backpack.

had tried
3. The teens were fascinated because they ______________ (try)
the virtual reality headset.

4. Before the authorities imposed the new regulation, there

had been
______________ (be) a few incidents with drones at the airport.

had delayed
5. People were disappointed because Apple ______________
(delay) the new iPhone release.