This document provides information about the past perfect tense, including its meaning, form, and use. The past perfect is used to describe an action that occurred before another past action or time. It is formed using "had" plus the past participle of the main verb. Examples are given of sentences in the past perfect, including combining sentences to show the before relationship between clauses. The document also notes that the simple past can sometimes be used instead of the past perfect for actions in a narrative setting. Practice activities are suggested for the reader to try using the past perfect tense.

1. Past Perfect
Meaning, form and use

2. Past perfect
Used to describe an action that happened or
didn´t happen before another action or a
specif time
Past perfect form = had + past participle
Past participle it is often called the 'ed' form as it
is formed by adding d or ed, to the base form of
regular verbs, however it is also formed in
various other ways for irregular verbs.

3. She had left the party when
he arrived
You can use
yet between
had and
hadn’t and
the past
participle
E.G.
HAD FOR ALL THE PRONOUNS

4. A short story to start….
‘When I arrived home I realized I’d been
robbed. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The
robbers:
had broken down the door
 had left my papers and photos all over the
floor
 had locked my dog in the cellar/shed had
taken my jewelry
 had smashed a window
 had stolen my laptop
 had eaten the cake I’d bought for my friend’s
birthday
 had urinated all over the floor

5. Combine the sentences
I
arrived at school/work. Before that I ate
breakfast.
 I left the house. Before that I turned off the
lights.
 I came to this class. Before that I didn’t
study English.
 I had a test. Before that I reviewed all my
notes.

6. In an information setting….
 You
can use simple past instead of past
perfect.
Example: By June, he started his new job
Before 8:00 pm, he arrived to his destination

7. Practice activity




Parents arrive home from holiday having left their
teenage son in charge of the house. They soon
realize he’s had a big party while they were away.
Start: When they arrived home they saw...
A man arrived home having left his new puppy on its
own for the first time. Start: When he arrived home he
saw...
Someone arrived home to discover his/her partner
has clearly found out about the affair he/she’d been
having with his/her secretary. Start: When s/he
arrived home s/he saw...
A teacher came back into the class and realized she
shouldn’t have left the students on their own for that
long. Start: She walked back in and saw...

8. Assignment 2
 Write
5 things you did during a day in your
life, and 5 things you did during your life
time.
 E.G. By 7:00 a.m. I had already finish my
breakfast but I hadn’t finish washing the
dishes.
 AND
 I had learned English before I lived in the
States.

9.  Share
5 things you have never done
before coming to Universidad El Palmore.