PAST PERFECT TENSE
It’s used for a past action which
happened before another past action
or before a stated past time.
e.g: I had had a shower, then I left
home.
After she had told me that she
was ill, I did not get angry with her
for not coming.

M E E X P R E S S IO N S
F P AS T P E R F E C T TE N S E
 after:
First, Brad Pitt acted in the movie, “Seven Years in Tibet”
Then, the Government of China banned his entrance to China.
After Brad Pitt acted in the movie, “Seven Years in Tibet”,
the Government of China banned his entrance to China.
Afte r + P a s t P e rfe c t , P a s t te n s e

 Before:
First, the producers of the film had considered
Brad Pitt for the main role.
Then, Keanu Reeves took the main role in the Matrix.
Before Keanu Reeves took the main role in the Matrix,
the producers of the film had considered Brad Pitt
for the main role.
B e f o r e + S im p le P a s t , P a s t p e r f e c t

 By the time/ When:
First, Julia Roberts changed her name from Julie
to Julia.
Then, Julia Roberts became a famous movie star.
By the time/ when Julia Roberts became a famous
movie star, she had (already) changed her name from
Julie to Julia.
B y t h e t im e / W h e n + S im p le P a s t , P a s t p e r f e c t

As soon as:
First, Brad began to work in a TV firm
Then, Brad got his first role in the movie
“Thelma and Louise”.
As soon as Brad had began to work in a TV firm,
A s s ohe n a s + firsts role e r thec movieP“Thelma and eLouise”.
o got his P a t P in f e t , a s t te n s

SOME EXAMPLES:
First, we ate at the cafeteria. Then, we went to
class.
(after)
After we had eaten at the cafeteria, we went
to class.
First, Juan made himself a sandwich. Then,
he poured some tea.
(after)
After Juan had made himself a sandwich, he
poured some tea.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
•The past perfect continuous tense is
like the past perfect tense, but it
expresses longer actions in the past
before another action in the past.
•For example:
Ram started waiting at 9am. I arrived
at 11am.
When I arrived, Ram had been
waiting for two hours.

Complete the sentences with the words
in brackets and use past forms
saw was living
• I............(see) my first baseball game when I...................
(live) in New York.
had he drunk
• How many glass of beer........................(drink) before
left
He ................(leave) the pub?
was raining decided
• It .....................(rain) so we.................. (decide) to stay at
home all afternoon.
left had been
• By the time I .................(leave) university I .................(be) to
France fifteen times.

were you doing
 What ........................(you/do) at the time the
murder was committed?
got
 When we....................(get) home we saw that
had broken
someone................ (break) in to steal the video.
had lost
I didn't realise I................ (lose) my credit card
tried
until I............... (try) to pay for something.
was writing
I ..................(write) an email to my sister when
rang
she........................ (ring) me.

arrived
 When I....................(arrive) at the station, the train
had already left
.................................(already-leave).
lit
 We...........................(light) the candles because the lights
had gone off
.......................... (go off).
 When I got home I discovered ..................(discover) that somebody
had broken into
.................................(break into) my flat.
had died reached
 The patient.................(die) before the ambulance...............
(reach) the hospital.
had eaten
 John..........................(eat) all the cakes by the time the other
arrived
children....................(arrive).

PAST PERFECT TENSE OR PAST SIMPLE TENSE
had finished
After Jim and Terry 1).......................(finish) their breakfast,
took went
they 2.).................(take) their bags and 3.).................(go) to the
had gone
river to fish. They 4.).....................(go) there before and
caught
5.)...................(catch) some big fish. By 5 o’clock they
hadn’t got
6.)...................(not/get) any fish, so they decided to go home. They
had promised
7.)........................(promise)their mother to bring fish for dinner,
looked
so they 8.)..................(look) for a shop where they could buy some
had already closed
but the shops 9.)................................. (already/close). When they
arrived told
10.).....................(arrive) home, they 11.)...................(tell) their
had caught
mother that they 12.).......................(catch) the biggest fish they
had ever seen escaped
13.)........................(ever/see) but it 14.).........................(escape).

Now that’s your time, let’s complete the sentences:
He had lost his pen
1.) Ben couldn’t write the letter because,.....................................
2.) Jane missed the train because,..........................................
3.) He couldn’t pay the electricity bill because,.........................
4.) She failed her exam because,......................................
5.) She was sad because,.................................................
6.) His hands were dirty because,.............................................
7.) He was wet, because.......................................................
8.) They were hungry because,...................................................
9.) He had a stomach-ache because,............................................
10.) They were tired, because.........................................................
11.) Jenifer got sunburnt because,.................................................