2.3. Past Perfect.

Rule

We form the past perfect with the verb to have (in past simple) and past participle.

Affirmative	Negative		Interrogative
	Long form	Short form
I had finished You had finished He had finished She had finished It had finished We had finished You had finished They had finished	I had not finished You had not finished He had not finished She had not finished It had not finished We had not finished You had not finished They had not finished	I hadn’t finished You hadn’t finished He hadn’t finished She hadn’t finished It hadn’t finished We hadn’t finished You hadn’t finished They hadn’t finished	Had I finished? Had you finished? Had he finished? Had she finished? Had it finished? Had we finished? Had you finished? Had they finished?

Rule

The Past Perfect is used for:

for an action which happened before another past action or before a stated time in the past. E.g. They had already reserved the table when they went to the restaurant. (They made a reservation first and then they went to the restaurant.) They had already sat down for dinner by 8 pm

for an action which finished in the past and whose result was visible in the past. Bill had injured his legs in a car accident, so he had to use a wheelchair for six months. (The action finished in the past and its result was visible in the past, too.)

Time expressions used with past perfect:

before, after, already, for, since, just, till / until, when, by, by the time, never, etc

1. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form of the past perfect.

1. Jason ...had returned... (return) home before the storm broke out.

2. …………………………… (Lucy / pack) her suitcase by the time you called her?

3. The children …………………………… (finish) doing their homework by nine o'clock.

4. …………………………… (Julie / type) the letters by the lime her boss came to the office.

5. I …………………………… (not /finish) my lunch when uncle Bill came.

6. After Sarah …………………………… (do) the shopping, she had coffee with her friends at a café.

7. When I got to the garage, the mechanic …………………………… (not / repair) my car.

8. The boys were frightened because they …………………………… (not / be) on a plane before.

2. Use the prompts to make sentences, as in the example.

First	Then
Sue / pack / her suitcase Bob / eat/ the meal Mary / read / the contract the boys / watch / the match Peter/ borrow / some money	call /a taxi pay / the bill sign / it turn off / the TV buy / a car

E.g. After / When Sue had packed her suitcase, she called a taxi.

Sue had packed her suitcase before she called a taxi.

1. ………………………………………………………………………………. .

………………………………………………………………………………. .

2. ………………………………………………………………………………. .

………………………………………………………………………………. .

3. ………………………………………………………………………………. .

………………………………………………………………………………. .

4. ………………………………………………………………………………. .

………………………………………………………………………………. .

3. Join the sentences using the words in brackets.

1. She cleaned the house. Then, she watched TV. (after) After she had cleaned the house, she matched TV.

2. I found a solution to my problem. Then, I felt happier. (when)

………………………………………………………………………………. .

3. The boys finished their homework. Then, they went out to play. (before)

………………………………………………………………………………. .

4. He locked the door. Then, the phone rang, (after)

………………………………………………………………………………. .

5. Sarah washed the dishes. Then, her husband arrived (by / the time)

………………………………………………………………………………. .

6. The concert finished. Than, the fans left the stadium. (when)

………………………………………………………………………………. .

7. The play / started. Then, Henry arrived at the theatre (already... when)

………………………………………………………………………………. .