Unit 9 – past perfect simple

It’s sometimes easier to understand

when we use the past perfect if we
compare it to the past simple.
Let’s look at:
1. When we use the past perfect.
2. How we make sentences in the past perfect.

When do we use the

past perfect?

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 Function: When do we use it?
past perfect simple and the past simple

Yes, but I got there late and everyone

had already finished eating! It was so Did you go to James’
embarrassing. I had to do extra birthday meal on
homework in the afternoon because I Saturday?
had missed school the week before
when I was ill. What a disaster!
Saturday
Look at the
conversation and put
the events on the
timeline.

I got there late.

Everyone had
I had to do lots of work. I had missed school. (already) finished
eating.

Copyright © 2018 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition B1

 Function: When do we use it?
past perfect simple (and the past simple)
Use for actions, events and situations that happened before another past action.

I got there late and everyone had already finished eating! It was so embarrassing. I had to do extra
homework in the afternoon because I had missed school the week before when I was ill. What a disaster!

Saturday

I had missed school. I had to do lots of work. Everyone had (already) finished I got there late.
eating.
Same here… Here, the girl focuses the story at this
We use the past
perfect for the point in time and then mentions
action furthest in something which happened before
The events in the (the past of the past).
conversation are not the past.
consecutive. Look…
Something to consider…
Copyright © 2018 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition B1
Something to consider… Look at the
continuation of the
conversation.

The weekend before, I had got wet in a thunderstorm. I went for a long walk with my
best friend and it suddenly started raining.

Notice how:
We do not continue talking in the past perfect simple after the first sentence because the
listener now knows what time period the speaker is referring to.

The story continues in the

past simple tense.

How do we form
sentences in the past
perfect?
Copyright © 2018 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition B1
 Form: How do we make sentences?
Everyone had already finished eating I had missed school.

I had got wet.

positive

Look at the examples subject ________________ past participle

and complete the Everyone had finished.
gaps with these
negative
words.
subject had (’d) ________________ had not (hadn’t) past participle
I hadn’t been well.
had past participle
questions
qu. word had subject ___________________?
(Why) had you got wet?
short answers
Yes, subject _______________________
No, had not (hadn’t).

Copyright © 2018 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition B1

 Form: How do we make sentences?
Everyone had already finished I had missed school.
eating.

positive I had got wet.

subject had (’d) past participle

Everyone Had finished.
Remember that we
negative commonly use
contractions, e.g.
subject had not (hadn’t) past participle
hadn’t, ’d.
I hadn’t been well.
questions Adverbs of time (already, just, ever,
qu. word had subject past participle? never) always come before the past
(Why) had you got wet? participle, e.g. Everyone had already
finished eating.
short answers
Yes, subject had.
No, had not (hadn’t).
Let’s practise…

Copyright © 2018 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition B1

 Practice activities
Use the past simple or the past perfect simple in these gaps.

’d/had just called walked

1. I………………………………………(call/just) Stella when she………………………………………(walk) through the door.

wrote visited
2. Christopher…………………………(write) Jack a letter and then……………………………..(visit) him the week after.

was ’d/had ever seen

3. It………………………………………..(be) the most beautiful place they……………………………………………(see/ever).

read watched
4. I…………………………..(read) the book a year ago and……………………..(watch) the film last Friday.

knew ’d/had already read

5. I…………………………………(know) the plot because I…………………………………….(read/already) the book.

brought was/had been

6. William…………………………(bring) flowers because his grandmother……………………………….(be) ill.

Copyright © 2018 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition B1