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Grammar past perfect simple (had + p/p)

Affirmative: I had done / You had done / He/she/it had done / We had done / You had done (plural) / They had done

Negative: I had not done / You had not done / He/she/it had not done / We had not done / You had not done / They had not done

Question: Had I done? / Had you done? / Had he/she/it done? / Had we done? / Had you done? / Had they done?

We use the past perfect simple to talk about what happened before a point in the past. It looks back from a point in the past to further in the past. I hadn't known the bad news when I spoke to him. I checked with the supplier and they still hadn't received the contract. She had already told him before I got a chance to give him my version. The company has started the year well but was badly hit by the postal strike. The past perfect simple is often used when we report what people had said/thought/believed. He told me they had already paid the bill. He said he believed that John had moved to Italy. I thought we had already decided on a name for this product.

Exercises

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Past simple or past perfect simple 1. The meeting was at nine o'clock. When I _________(arrive) at ten, the meeting had finished. 2. When we got to the airport, I realized that I __________ (leave)my passport at home 3. He didn't realize that he had gone through a red light, until a policeman ______________(stop) him 4. They didn't want to go to the cinema because they ________________ (see) the film the week before 5. Barbara _______________(change) so much that I didn't recognize her. 6. The next day, she moved away, as she ___________(plan) to. 7. They wondered where she _____________(go) 8. When she had cried for half an hour she ____________(begin) to feel better 9. For three weeks she behaved as if nothing __________(change) 10. She _____________(take) the news as calmly as if she had expected it Past perfect simple or past perfect continuous 1. When I went to the car park, I found that my car______ .(to steal) 2. John ___________in Paris for 4 years before he could speak French fluently. (to live) 3. I _______________English for 5 years now. (to learn) 4. The locals were amazed because they _____________a horse before. (never, to see) 5. They wouldn't let him in because he ___________his membership card. (to forget) 6. They said : 'You can't come in because you y____________our membership card.' (to forget) 7. ________________the new film by Spike Lee? (you, to see) 8. They _______________a lot of champagne by the time the party ended. (to drink) 9. They were angry because they __________for too long. (to wait)
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Past simple or past perfect simple ANSWERS

1. The meeting was at nine o'clock. When I ARRIVED(arrive) at ten, the meeting had finished. 2. When we got to the airport, I realized that I HAD LEFT (leave)my passport at home 3. He didn't realize that he had gone through a red light, until a policeman STOPPED (stop) him 4. They didn't want to go to the cinema because they HAD SEEN(see) the film the week before 5. Barbara HAD CHANGED(change) so much that I didn't recognize her. 6. The next day, she moved away, as she HAD PLANNED(plan) to. 7. They wondered where she HAD GONE (go) 8. When she had cried for half an hour she BEGAN (begin) to feel better 9. For three weeks she behaved as if nothing HAD CHANGED (change) 10. She TOOK(take) the news as calmly as if she had expected it

Past perfect simple or past perfect continuous ANSWERS 1. When I went to the car park, I found that my car HAD BEEN
STOLEN .(to steal) 2. John HAD BEEN LIVING in Paris for 4 years before he could speak French fluently. (to live) 3. I HAVE BEEN LEARNING English for 5 years now. (to learn) 4. The locals were amazed because they HAD NEVER SEEN a horse before. (never, to see) 5. They wouldn't let him in because he HAD FORGOTTEN his membership card. (to forget) 6. They said : 'You can't come in because you HAVE FORGOTTEN your membership card.' (to forget) 7. HAVE YOU SEEN the new film by Spike Lee? (you, to see) 8. They HAD DRUNK a lot of champagne by the time the party ended. (to drink) 9. They were angry because they HAD BEEN WAITING for too long. (to wait) www.webenglishonline.com