English Exercises
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exercises
Past Simple and Past Perfect Tense
Downloadable worksheets:
Present Perfect or Past Simple ( B&W and KEY included )
Level:
elementary
Age:
11-17
Downloads:
3439
The Past Perfect Tense: Use and Form + Practice: Past Simple or Past Perfect? - Inductive Approach
Level:
intermediate
Age:
12-17
Downloads:
1801
1 of 3 Long Time No See - Practise PAST Tenses - Reading and Speaking activity
Level:
intermediate
Age:
14-17
Downloads:
798
Past perfect vs. Past simple - stories to complete
Level:
intermediate
Age:
10-17
Downloads:
689
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...)
�
INTERROGATIVE:
HAD��
+�� I/we/they/you
he/she/it�� +�
past participle
(eaten, gone, seen, finished...)?
�
NEGATIVE:
I/we/they/you
he/she/it��+
HAD NOT
(hadn't) (eaten, gone, seen, finished...)
�
�
�
USE:
�
for actions�happened
BEFORE
another past action
�
�
EXAMPLES:
�
�
�
�
�
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Be careful:
�
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.)
�
I Choose the correct explanation:
�
When Amy arrived at the party, Tom had already gone home.
When Amy arrived at the party, Tom wasn't there. First Tom left and then Amy arrived.
When Amy arrived at the party, Tom was still there and then he left.
�
When Amy arrived at the party, Tom went home.
First Amy arrived and then Tom left.
First Tom left and then Amy arrived.
�
�
II Fill in the sentences using the PAST PERFECT TENSE of the given verbs:
�
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.
�
�
III Read the following sentences. Look at the given words in brackets and make sentences using the PAST PERFECT TENSE:
�
ex.
Peter went to Mary's flat but she wasn't there. (she/go/out)
She had gone out
.
�
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)
�
�
IV Make sentences using the PAST PERFECT or the PAST SIMPLE TENSE:
�
1. When the police
arrived
had arrived
, the car
went
had gone
.
2. They
had eaten
ate
�everything by the time I
arrived
had arrived
�at the party.
3. When we
left
had left
�the beach, the rain
had already started
started
.
4. I
tried
had tried
�phoning her several times but she
had already left
left
�the country.
5. When I
had found
found
�my purse, someone
took
had taken
�the money out of it.
6. The car
went
had gone
�when I
looked
had looked
�into the street.
7. The patient
had already died
died
�by the time I
had seen
saw
�her.
8. All the garages
had closed
closed
�by the time we�
crossed
had crossed
�the border. �
9. He
left
had already left
�when the trouble
started
had started
.
10. The post
hadn't arrived
didn't arrive
�when I
left
had left
�the house this morning.
�
�
V Complete the sentences using the PAST PERFECT
(
action happened BEFORE another past action
)
or the PAST SIMPLE TENSE
(
actions happened one after another
):
�
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.
�
����
�
�
�