Notes. Forms and Patterns

1. The Past Perfect Tense

(a) Form:

had + verb + -ed (past participle)

√	I had worked etc.
?	Had you worked etc.
x	He had not worked etc

2. We use the Past Perfect:

1. to indicate an activity at a time before the past

e.g.	She said she had worked in France and Germany.

2. with the following time conjunctions:after,before,once,until,when,as soon as.

e.g.	When he had painted the kitchen and bathroom, he decided to have a rest. After I had finished the report, I realised that it was too late to post it.

2. The Past Perfect Continuous Tense

(a) Form:

had + been + verb + -ing (present participle)

		√	I had been working etc.
		?	Had you been working etc.
		x	She had not been working etc

2. We use the Past Perfect Continuous:

1. to indicate actions that began in the past and continued without interruption up to a given time in the past.

e.g.	He had been waiting for her for half an hour when she finally arrived.

2. with the following time conjunctions: for, since, how long.

e.g.	Mr Woods had been working for 50 years when he finally retired in 1975.

3. The Past Perfect Tense and the Past Perfect Continuous Tense.

We use the Past Perfect:	We use the Past Perfect Continuous:
to stress the result He had answered five letters by 10 o’clock. He had read all the newspapers by 12 o’clock.	to stress the duration He had been answering letters till 10 o’clock. He had been reading newspapers till 12 o’clock.

3. Relative Pronouns:

who (whom) which that

We use who (whom) for people and which for things.

e.g.	The man who spoke to us wasn’t English. That’s Jim whom I saw yesterday. Did you see the letter which came this morning?.

We use that for people and things.

e.g.	We’ve got all the stuntmen that we want. It reminded him of a photo that he had once seen. She said a word that I didn’t hear.

Drills

Drill 1.

Why didn’t you listen to that play on the radio? (hear) Because I had heard it before. I didn’t listen to that play on the radio because I had heard it before.

1. Why didn’t you see Fred when you came to Moscow? (leave)

2. Why didn’t Kate want to go to the cinema? (see the film)

3. Why didn’t you tell him my new address? (forget)

4. What did Jeff hear about Kate’s examination? (pass)

5. Why did Fred come home so soon from his holiday? (spend all the money)

6. Why couldn’t you get into your flat at once? (lose the key)

7. Why did you hurry to the snack bar during the first break? (have no breakfast)

8. What did you learn about Bob? (marry)

9. What did she read in the newspaper about the expedition? (return)

10. What did he learn about Helen from the letter he received? (be ill for a month)

Drill 2.

When John and I got to the theatre the play ... (start already) When John and I got to the theatre, the play had already started.

1. When she went to bed, she remembered that she ... (not lock the door).

2. She felt tired because she ... (work too hard the day before).

3. She went for a holiday after she ... (pass the exams).

4. I didn’t know what to do when I ... (spend all the money).

5. I didn’t look at the present until after he ... (go).

6. I was very sorry to hear that he ... (die).

7. He didn’t start eating until ... (wash his hands).

8. When I met Helen, I understood why Bill ... (marry her).

9. He understood the book only after he ... (read it again).

Drill 3.

He left school and went to university. After he had left school he went to university.

1. He studied for three years but failed his exams.

2. He worked in an office for a while and then emigrated to Australia.

3. He tried several jobs and then he became a farmer.

4. He made a lot of money and decided to go home for a holiday.

5. He arrived in England and married an old girlfriend.

6. He met his old friends and didn’t want to go back again.

7. He sold his farm and bought a business in England.

Drill 4.	They went home. They finished their work. (after) They went home after they had finished their work.
	The sun set. I was ready to go. (before) The sun had set before I was ready to go.

1. He died. He was very ill. (before)

2. She wrote the letter. She went to the post office. (after)

3. She read the message carefully. She wrote the reply. (before)

4. He had dinner. He went to the cinema. (after)

5. The man didn’t leave. He didn’t receive a definite answer. (till)

6. We didn’t disturb him. He finished his work. (until)

7. We reached the football ground. The game started. (when)

8. John worked as a skilled builder. He began to study architecture. (before)

9. Harold couldn’t leave for home. He completed everything. (till)

10. The river became deeper. It rained heavily. (after)

Drill 5.

She started cooking. The telephone rang. She’d hardly started cooking when the telephone rang.

1. They finished speaking. Someone knocked at the door.

2. She closed the door. The baby started crying.

3. She fed the baby. The dog began barking.

4. She put the dog out. The cat stole the meat.

5. She rescued the meat. The soup boiled over.

6. She cleaned up the mess. The guests arrived.

7. They sat down. She served dinner.

Drill 6.

Did that girl help you. Yes, she’s the girl who helped me.

Did that bot see you? Did that woman hear you? Did that man find you? Did that nurse speak to you?

Did that fellow beat you? Did that lady smile at you? Did that gentleman invite you?

Drill 7.

Did you see that film?. Yes, that’s the film which I saw last night.

Did you find that ring? Did you watch that programme? Did you write that letter? Did you win that prize?

Did you sing that song? Did you sell that moped? Did you read that book?

Drill 8.

The boy that you met was my brother.. Yes, the boy I met was your brother.

1. The girl that you heard was my sister.

2. The dog which he killed was mine.

3. The books that she bought were expensive.

4. The cups which I broke were cheap.

5. The money which I found was yours.

6. The man whom you saw was my father.

7. The books that I read were good.

Drill 9.

Did you see that girl yesterday?. Yes, she’s the girl whom I saw yesterday.

1. Did you meet that man yesterday?

2. Did you hear that woman yesterday?

3. Did you find that boy yesterday?

4. Did you invite that nurse yesterday?

5. Did you talk about that fellow yesterday?

6. Did you dream of that girl yesterday?

7. Did you speak to that doctor yesterday?

Drill 10.

I wrote you about that book, didn’t I? Yes, that’s the book you wrote me about.

I told you about that film, didn’t I? I gave you that bottle of wine, didn’t I? I lost that button, didn’t I? I paid for that watch, didn’t I?

I smiled at that girl, didn’t I? I read that book, didn’t I? I wrote that letter, didn’t I?