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Past Simple and Past Perfect Tense




Downloadable worksheets:
Present Perfect or Past Simple ( B&W and KEY included )
Level: elementary
Age: 11-17
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The Past Perfect Tense: Use and Form + Practice: Past Simple or Past Perfect? - Inductive Approach
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Age: 12-17
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1 of 3 Long Time No See - Practise PAST Tenses - Reading and Speaking activity
Level: intermediate
Age: 14-17
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Past perfect vs. Past simple - stories to complete
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Age: 10-17
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3 of 3 Long Time No See CARDS No. 2 female - Practise PAST Tenses - Reading and Speaking activity
Level: intermediate
Age: 14-17
Downloads: 571
 
2 of 3 Long Time No See CARDS No. 1 male - Practise PAST Tenses - Reading and Speaking activity
Level: intermediate
Age: 14-17
Downloads: 535
 

The Past Perfect Tense ("Past of the past")

FORM:
I/we/they/you
he/she/it��+��HAD�+�past participle (eaten, gone, seen, finished...)
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INTERROGATIVE:
HAD�� +�� I/we/they/you
he/she/it�� +� past participle (eaten, gone, seen, finished...)?
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NEGATIVE:
I/we/they/you
he/she/it��+ HAD NOT (hadn't) (eaten, gone, seen, finished...)
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USE:
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for actions�happened BEFORE another past action
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EXAMPLES:
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First: I ate breakfast. (past perfect)�
Secound: I went to school. (past simple)
I had eaten breakfast BEFORE I�went to school.
AFTER�I had eaten breakfast, I went to school.
BY THE TIME (= before) I went to school, I had eaten breakfast.
WHEN I had eaten breakfast, I went to school.
��� !WHEN I ate breakfast, I went to school.
��(First I�ate breakfast and then I went to school.)
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I Choose the correct explanation:
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  • When Amy arrived at the party, Tom had already gone home.
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  • When Amy arrived at the party, Tom went home.
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II Fill in the sentences using the PAST PERFECT TENSE of the given verbs:
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1. When we got home last night, we found that somebody�����(break) into the flat.
2. Mary didn't want to go to the cinema, because she��� (already see) the film. �
3. Tom was very nervous on the plane. He��(never fly) before.
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III Read the following sentences. Look at the given words in brackets and make sentences using the PAST PERFECT TENSE:
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ex. Peter went to Mary's flat but she wasn't there. (she/go/out) She had gone out.
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1. Jim went back to his hometown aftr many years. It wasn't the same as before. (it/change/a lot)�
2. We invited Mark to the party but he couldn't come. (he/arrange/to do/something else)
3. Sarah went to the cinema last night. She was late. (the film/already/begin)
4. Tim offered me a sandwich but I wasn't hungry. (I/just/have lunch)
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IV Make sentences using the PAST PERFECT or the PAST SIMPLE TENSE:
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1. When the police , the car .
2. They �everything by the time I �at the party.
3. When we �the beach, the rain .
4. I �phoning her several times but she �the country.
5. When I �my purse, someone �the money out of it.
6. The car �when I �into the street.
7. The patient �by the time I �her.
8. All the garages �by the time we��the border. �
9. He �when the trouble .
10. The post �when I �the house this morning.
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V Complete the sentences using the PAST PERFECT (action happened BEFORE another past action) or the PAST SIMPLE TENSE (actions happened one after another):
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1. "Was Tom at the party when you arrived?"� "No, he��(go) home.
2. I felt tired when I got home, so I �(go) straight to bed.
3. The house was very quiet when I got home. Everyone �(leave).
4. Sorry I'm late. The car �(break down) on my way here.
5. We were driving along the road when we � (see) a car which �(break down), so we �(stop) to see if we could help.
6. When I �(meet) her she was a widow. Her husband �(die) a long time ago.
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