13. The Past Perfect Tense

Learning Outcomes

After completing Chapter 11, students will know how to:

  • use the functions of the Past Perfect Tense.
  • form the Past Perfect Tense in affirmative statements, negative statements and questions.
  • apply the Past Perfect Tense in various situations.
  • use appropriate time markers with the Present Perfect Tense and the Simple Past.

Functions of the Past Perfect Tense

The Past Perfect Tense is used for actions that finished before another past action.

Let us discuss this in detail.

The Past Perfect is usually used together with the Simple Past Tense. We use the Past Perfect Tense to describe the first action that happens  The Simple Past Tense is used for the second past action. Notice the timeline below:

This is a timeline. There is a black line horizontal across the page with an arrow pointing to the right with the word future underneath. On the opposite side, there is an arrow pointing left with the word past underneath. In the centre of the time line is an arrow pointing down indicating with the word now written above it. There are two blue exes on the horizontal black line, between the past arrow and the now arrow. It says past perfect above the first blue x and simple past under the second blue x.
Past Perfect Timeline by Virginia McHardy, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Some examples are:

  • I had visited my mother before I went for lunch.
  • Adlet had already finished breakfast when his friends invited him out to eat.
  • Alma had taught 3 classes by the time she got home.

Common Time Markers used with The Past Perfect Tense and the Simple Past:

  • when
  • by the time
  • before
The Past Perfect + (time marker) + The Simple Past
I had played 3 games of tennis before my mom picked me up.
The students had finished their presentations when the bell rang.
Laurentine had given her baby a bath by the time her husband got home.
(Time Marker) + The Simple Past + , + The Past Perfect

Before my mom picked me up, I had played 3 games of tennis.

When the bell rang, the students had finished their presentations.

By the time Laurentine’s husband got home, she had given her baby a bath.

 

**With this function, we can also use similar time markers used with the Present Perfect Tense (see Chapter 9 ) such as already, yet, still, ever, and never.

Examples:

Derek had already interviewed for 6 jobs before he was hired.

Yumiko hadn’t finished her dinner yet by the time her friends called on her.

Daniel had never seen snow when he arrived in Canada.

Had you ever done a presentation in English before this class?

Forms

Let us now explore how the Past Perfect Tense is formed:

Affirmative sentences: Subject + had + past participle
Subject + + had + past participle
I had studied…
Gaelle had eaten…
Augusta had had…
Mary and Alma had finished…
Negative Sentences: Subject + had + not+  past participle
Subject + had+ not + past participle.
I had not (hadn’t) taught…
Nebrass had not (hadn’t) laughed…
Adlet had not (hadn’t) played…
You and Simon had not (hadn’t) gone…
Yes/No Questions: Had + subject +  past participle?
Had+ subject + past participle? Short Answer
Had she answered…? Yes, she had./No, she hadn’t.
Had Stephen failed? Yes, he had./No, he hadn’t.
Had the teachers slept? Yes, they had./No, they hadn’t.
Information Questions: Wh ? + had + subject + past participle?
Wh ? + had + subject past participle? Answer
What had Yumi done? She had cleaned the kitchen, mopped the floors before lunchtime.
Where had they gone? They had gone to the dentist.
Why had you lied? I had lied when I saw you because I didn’t want to get in trouble.

***When the main verb is “have”, you will see the past participle “had” the same as the auxiliary verb. For example: I had had breakfast before I went to work.

***See Chapter 13 for common past participles.

 

Past Perfect Example Conversation and Practice

Watch this cute cartoon that tells a story using a lot of past perfect. Remember to answer the questions that appear!

Past Perfect Example Conversation and Practice (Text Version)

Watch Past Perfect Tense (7 mins) on YouTube and stop the video to answer the following questions

  1. Pause at 0:33: Which action happened first – brushed teeth or used mouthwash?
  2. Pause at 0:55: Which action happened first – used mouthwash or realized?
  3. Pause at 1:36: Which action happened first – meant to get it from the washer or mom put it in the dryer?
  4. Pause at 1:45: Which action happened first? – took it out of the dryer or it shrunk?
  5. Pause at 3:58: Which action happened first? – saw her or the waiting?

Check your answers[1]

Activity source: “Past Perfect Conversation Example and Practice Interactive Video” by Sari Martin, licensed under CC BY-NC SA 4.0. Video Source: Easy English. (2020, March 25). Past perfect tense [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/-TrE6VdtgLE

 

Past Perfect Form Practice – Affirmative

Past Perfect Form Practice – Affirmative (Text Version)

Fill in the blanks (marked with letters a-) with past perfect OR simple past form of verbs given in the bracket after the letter.  Take a hint from the signal words to use the appropriate form of verb tense.

  1. Diego _______ [Blank 1 – type] (type) all the letters before his boss _______ [Blank 2 – come] back.
  2. By the time Aminah _______ [Blank 1 – reach] home, her kids _______ [Blank 2 – go] to play.
  3. The students _______ [Blank 1 – complete] (complete) their assignment before they _______ [Blank 2 – submit] it.
  4. Tiago _______ [Blank 1 – finish] the housework when his wife _______ [Blank 2 – arrive] home.
  5. The fire _______ [Blank 1 – start; already] when the residents _______ [Blank 2 – call]  the fire department.
  6. When the bell _______ [Blank 1 – ring] (ring), I _______ [Blank 1 – finish] my paper. 

Check your answers[2]

Activity source: “Past Perfect – Signal Words” by Annapurna Madhuri, “Simple past, Past continous & Past perfect” In Effective English for Teachers by Annapurna Madhuri, edited by Sari Martin licensed under CC BY-NC SA 4.0. / Converted to Text and some examples edited and added.

Past Perfect Form Practice – Negative

Past Perfect Form Practice – Negative (Text Version)

Change the following sentences into negative form. Use the contraction when possible.

Example:

Amir had finished his assignment before 8.00 PM.

Amir hadn’t finished his assignment before 8:00 PM.

  1. I had eaten at that restaurant before last night.
  2. I had cleaned up the mess when my parents came.
  3. Adam had informed us about the project.
  4. Tatiana had applied for another job before quitting.
  5. I had visited that yoga center before.

Check your answers[3]

Activity source:  “Past Perfect Negative” by Annapurna Madhuri, from “Simple past, Past continous & Past perfect” In Effective English for Teachers by Annapurna Madhuri, edited by Sari Martin, licensed under CC BY-NC SA 4.0. / Converted to Text and some examples edited and added.

Past Perfect Form Practice – Interrogative

Past Perfect Form Practice – Interrogative (Text Version)

Rewrite the sentence in the interrogative (question) form. Spelling and punctuation count!

Example:

Hans hadn’t seen that famous movie before last night.

Answer:  Had Hans seen that famous movie before last night?

  1. Anna and Max had travelled to Japan and Vietnam before returning home.
  2. Fatimah had locked her keys in her car.
  3. Despite going to the same school, Sasha and Louise had never met before.
  4. Kwandung had lent Haoyi a lot of money before he spent it.
  5. Stella had thrown out the store-bought meal before she finished it.

Check your answers[4]

Activity source: “Past Perfect Form Practice – Interrogative” by Sari Martin, licensed under CC BY-NC SA 4.0.

 

Verb Tenses in Music

For a fun activity, search the web and find the following songs:

  • Goodbye My Lover by James Blunt
  • Somebody that I Used to Know by Goyte

Can you hear the Past Perfect Tense in the lyrics?

What did the football coach say after he had broken the vending machine? Give me my quarterback!
“The Past Perfect Tense Joke” by Virginia McHardy, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Attribution & References

Except where otherwise noted, “The Past Perfect Tense” by Sari Martin & Virginia McHardy is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

    1. brushed teeth
    2. used mouthwash
    3. mom put it in the dryer
    4. the shirt shrunk
    5. the waiting
    ↵
    1. Diego had typed all the letters before his boss came back.
    2. By the time Aminah reached home, her kids had gone to play.
    3. The students had completed their assignments before they submitted it.
    4. Tiago had finished the housework when his wife arrived home.
    5. The fire had already started when the residents called the fire department.
    6. When the bell rang, I had finished my paper.
    ↵
    1. I hadn't eaten at that restaurant before last night.
    2. I hadn't cleaned up the mess when my parents came.
    3. Adam hadn't informed us about the project.
    4. Tatiana hadn't applied for another job before quitting.
    5. I hadn't visited that yoga center before.
    ↵
    1. Had Anna and Max travelled to Japan and Vietnam before returning home?
    2.  Had Fatimah locked her keys in her car?
    3.  Had Sasha and Louise met before despite going to the same school?
    4.  Had Kwandung lent Haoyi a lot of money before he spent it?
    5.  Had Stella thrown out the store-bought meal before she finished it?
    ↵

License

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Verb Tenses for English for Academic Purposes Copyright © 2019 by Sari Martin and Virginia McHardy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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