7.3 The Past Perfect Tense

Exercise 79 (*) Complete the sentences with the correct Past Perfect form of the verbs: do, finish, forget, have, leave, make, meet, sell, travel, win. Use negative forms if it’s necessary.

1. He asked why I __ the reports. 2. There was no coffee because Mark __ to buy any. 3. Glenn knew he __ a lot of mistakes in his English exam. 4. I phoned about the car for sale but the owner __ already __ it. 5. The children were very hungry because they __ any breakfast. 6. I was certain I __ the keys on my desk but they weren’t there. 7. Diana was sure she __ Tony before. 8. The children __ by plane before so they were very excited. 9. Mrs. Dunn was angry because most of the students __ their homework. 10. United’s manager resigned because the team __ any matches that season.

Exercise 80 (**) Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets: Past Perfect or Past Simple.

1. Ann wasn’t at home when I phoned her. She (go) to Paris. 2. The theatre was closed when we got there. Everyone (go) home. 3. When we arrived at the cinema, the film (already, begin). 4. Yesterday we (eat) a lot of hamburgers and fries. 5. I offered Tom something to eat but he (not, be) hungry. He (just, have) lunch.

Exercise 81 (**) Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets: Past Perfect or Present Perfect.

1. Who is that boy? I (never, see) him before. Is he a new student? 2. The car was dirty. They (not, wash) it for weeks. 3. We arrived in the morning and found that somebody (break) into the house during the night. 4. I am not thirsty. I (just, drink) a glass of cold tea. 5. I didn’t know who she was. I (never, meet) her here before.

7.4 The Past Perfect and the Present Perfect

Exercise 82 (**) Choose.

1. Greg felt terrified because… a) he’s never flown before. b) he’d never flown before. 2. How’s Susan? a) I haven’t seen her for ages. b) I hadn’t seen her for ages. 3. The group Just Girls are breaking up and… a) they’ve only been together for three months. b) they’d only been together for three months. 4. We were all very tired because… a) we’ve just travelled back from Florida. b) we’d just travelled back from Florida. 5. I love eating here. It’s the best restaurant… a) I’ve ever been to. b) I’d ever been to. 6. The whole country was in shock because… a) the President has died. b) the President had died. 7. It was the first time Juventus… a) have lost a match. b) had lost a match. 8. What’s the matter? a) You’ve been depressed all week. b) You’d been depressed all week.

7.5 The Past Perfect and the Past Simple

Exercise 83 (**) Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets: Past Perfect or Past Simple.

1. Harry (fall) in love with a beautiful Greek girl while he was working in Athens. 2. At last there was silence from the back of the car. All the children (fall) asleep. 3. She told me that she (feel) sick with nerves before making that speech. 4. Tom (feel) really sorry for himself. Not only had his girlfriend gone off with his best friend but he didn’t get the promotion he wanted. 5. We (have) breakfast on the veranda every morning whilst we were staying in Venice. 6. Camilla (tear) his letter into tiny pieces and threw it onto the fire. 7. Johnny’s mother asked him how he (tear) his trousers. 8. I didn’t ask the price of Ted’s new car but I knew it (cost) a fortune. 9. It (cost) more to have our word processor fixed than to buy a new one. 10. My father (fly) into a temper when he heard I’d failed my exams. 11. I went to visit my brother in Australia. I was nervous because I (never, fly) before. 12. We (catch) a taxi outside the restaurant, and it took us to our hotel. 13. She wondered how she (catch) a cold in the middle of summer. 14. They (be) held hostage for over six weeks when they finally escaped. 15. Talks (be) held in New York last week to discuss global warming.

Exercise 84 (**) Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets: Past Perfect or Past Simple.

1. I cooked a chicken curry for some friends but I (not, find) out until the next day that I (give) them all food poisoning. 2. Sandra (ring) her friend Dawn to ask about her holiday. Dawn (just, return) from a cruise in the Caribbean. 3. Since he was a little boy, Mark (want) to go to Oxford University and study to become a doctor. Imaging his delight when he (do) really well in all his exams! His childhood dream (come) true. 4. Kenneth (have) a very difficult week. On Monday a water pipe (burst) and flooded the kitchen, on Wednesday the central heating (break) down, and on Friday his wife (leave) him. 5. Keith and Fiona (go) to Brighton for their holiday last year. They (be) there the year before and they (have) an awful time, so I can’t understand why they (decided) to go back again. 6. Rachel (be) a successful model before she (become) a teacher. She (earn) a lot of money but then she (give) it all up for the school.