You will learn how to:

 Talk about past perfect tense

GUIDE 5
TALKING ABOUT PAST PERFECT TENSE

READING AND WRITING: Affirmative and negative sentences

Yesterday was valentine’s day, Rita’s boyfriend, Tom came for dinner at 5:00.
RITA’S SCHEDULE YESTERDAY

TIME ACTIVITY
10:00 1. Clean the house
12:30 2. Buy groceries
2:00 3. Bake a cake
3:00 4. Cook a roast
4:00 5. Prepare the vegetables
4:30 6. Set the table
5:30 7. Make a salad
6:00 8. Choose some romantic
music
6:30 9. Make a fire
7:00 10. Light the candles
7:30 11. Serve the meal

A. Make sentences with the past perfect tense to tell what Rita had already done when Tom arrived and
what she hadn’t done yet.
Example: “When Tom arrived, Rita had already cleaned the house.”

1. Max knew Paris because he had visited the city several times.
2. He had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska.
3. Had you been waiting long before the bus arrived?
4. They had studied English before they went to London.
5. I had not been shopping when you called me.
6. They had been living in that apartment before they sold the house at the country.
7. She said that she had been working  as a teacher for over 20 years.
GRAMMAR AND USE OF ENGLISH

B. Choose the correct verb from the list below to complete the following sentences. Put the verb in
the past perfect tense. (Use HAD+ PAST PARTICIPLE)

make start write leave forget fly scape close give

ring eat change go see

1. When I got to the house, Mary wasn’t there. She had already left.
2. I didn’t recognize my old classmate because she had changed so much.
3. We were late for the show last night. By the time we got to the theater, the movie had already
started.
4. Yesterday I went on my first plane trip. I was very nervous because I had never flown before.
5. I couldn’t eat much dinner last night because I had eaten such a big lunch.
6. I couldn’t buy any groceries last night because when I got to the supermarket, it had already
closed.
7. Last week our teacher gave back the essays we had written the week before.
8. The house was quiet when Andrew got home. Everyone had gone to bed seven hours later.
9. They got to school late yesterday. The bell had already rung.
10. Daniela couldn’t come to my house last night because she had already made other plans.
11. We couldn’t find the house. It was clear that he had given us the wrong add address.
12. Andrea didn’t want to come to the movie with us because she had seen it the week before.
13. By the time the police arrived at the bank, the robber had already escaped.
14. I couldn’t get into my apartment when I came home from work last night because I had forgotten to
take my key.

LISTENING

1. Listen to five different people talking about their job and do the exercises to practice and improve your
listening skills.

Preparation
Do this exercise before you listen. Write the correct word in the boxes below the picture.

Shop assistant teacher dentist cleaner tour guide doctor pilot nurse
 tour guide Shop assistant dentist pilot

teacher cleaner nurse doctor

2. Check your understanding: gap fill

Do this exercise while you listen. Complete the gaps with a word from the box.

Pilot dentist shop assistant tour guide nurse

1. Speaker A works as a shop assistant

2. Speaker B works as a dentist

3. Speaker C works as a nurse

4. Speaker D works as a tour guide

5. Speaker E works as a Pilot

3. Check your understanding: Multiple choice

Does this exercise while you listen? Circle the best answer for these questions.

1. Does speaker A enjoy his job? 3. When does speaker B work?

a) Yes. a) Weekdays
b) Sometimes. b) Weekends and holidays
c) No. c) Summer holidays
2. When does speaker A work? 4. What does speaker B say tourist love
a) When he is at university doing?
b) Weekends a) Visiting universities
c) Summer holidays b) Taking a boat trip
c) Swimming in the river
 5. Does speaker C like his job?
a) Yes. 7. What does speaker D say is the best thing
b) Sometimes. about his job?
c) No. a) Visiting different places
6. What does speaker D say is difficult about b) Meeting different people
being a pilot? c) The different weather
a) Travelling to many countries 8. What does speaker E not like about her
b) Learning many languages job?
c) Flying planes in bad weather a) The doctors
b) The sick people
c) The uniform

GRAMMAR PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (CONTINUOUS) TENSE

AUXILIA AUXILIA
SUBJEC MAIN COMPL
RY RY
T VERB .
VERB VERB

+ I had been working.

+ You had been playing tennis.

- It had not been working well.

- We had not been expecting her.

? Had you been drinking?

? Had they been waiting long?

 The first auxiliary verb (have) is conjugated in the Past Simple, invariable: had
 The second auxiliary verb (be) is invariable in past participle form: been
 The main verb is invariable in present participle form: -ing
 For negative sentences we insert not after the first auxiliary verb.
 For question sentences, we exchange the subject and the first auxiliary verb.
Let’s Practice!
1. Use the information provided below to make sentences with present perfect progressive tense.

plan eat sit burn fight lose rain smoke wait

give look date work look forward to

1. When the boys came home, both had black eyes. They had been fighting.
2. Mary’s mouth was all red. She had been eaten a strawberry ice cream.
3. When I woke up this morning, the sun was shining, but the ground was all wet. It had been raining
during the night.
4. The firemen finally put out the fire. It had been burning for several hours before they arrived.
5. When I went to Carol’s house yesterday, her hands were covered in mud. She had been working in
the garden for a few hours before I got there.
6. Michael bought a new computer last week because his old one had been giving him trouble for quite
some time.
7. Mr. Jones finally had to close his business. It had been losing money for several years.
8. The police had been looking for the thief for six months before they finally caught him.
9. It is too bad that Cathy had to cancel her trip last week. She had been planning it for such a long time.
10. Larry had been waiting on the corner for Patty for over an hour before she finally arrived.
11. When I went home last night, I could smell cigarettes in the house. Somebody had been smoking
before I got home.
12. Bob had been dating Mary for over two years before she finally broke up with him.
13. Marcia was very disappointed when we had to cancel our lunch date. She had been looking forward
to it for a long time.
14. I had been sitting in the waiting room for over an hour before the doctor finally arrived.
 ACTIVITY 5
PAST PERFECT TENSE

Match the first part of the sentence on the left with the correct ending on the right.
1. Betty’s plants died because… __G__ a) she had lost her doll.
2. Bob couldn’t buy the new computer because… __E__ b) she had left her purse at home.
3. Sammy couldn’t fall asleep last night because… __F__ c) he had already left the office.
4. The little girl was crying because… __A__ d) he hadn’t studied at all.
5. I didn’t have to buy groceries because… __H__ e) he had spent all his money.
6. Kevin failed his exam because… __D__ f) she had forgotten to set the alarm.
7. Monty bought a new camera because… __J__ g) she hadn’t watered them.
8. Clara couldn’t pay for lunch because… __B__ h) he had watched a scary movie
9. Susan slept late because… __I___ i) I had gone shopping the day before.
10. I couldn’t speak to the boss because… __C__ j) he had lost his old one.

A. Complete the following sentences using the PAST PERFECT TENSE and the words provided.
Example: I didn’t meet Ellie for lunch because… (she/eat)
“I didn’t meet Ellie for lunch because she had already eaten.”
1. My trip to New York was very exciting because… (I / not be / before)
My trip to New York was very exciting because. I hadn´t before been.
2. I couldn’t see the doctor because… (he / already / leave the office)
I couldn’t see the doctor because he had already left the office.
3. I couldn’t buy the car I wanted because… (the / car dealer / already / sell)
I couldn’t buy the car I wanted because the car dealer had already sold.
4. We couldn’t see the new exhibit because… (the museum / already / close)
We couldn’t see the new exhibit because the museum had already closed..

B. Complete the sentences below using the PAST PERFECT in the NEGATIVE and the words provided.
Example:
My house was very dirty when she came over because… (I / not clean / for weeks)
“My house was very dirty when she came over because I hadn’t cleaned it for weeks.”
1. Joe had to study hard for yesterday’s test because… (he / not do well / the week before)
Joe had to study hard for yesterday’s test because he hand´t done well the week before.
2. I was worried when she didn’t arrive on time because … (she / not be / late / before)
I was worried when she didn’t arrive on time because she hadn´t before been late.
3. Judy didn’t want to go on the school ski trip because… (she/ not ski/ before)
Judy didn’t want to go on the school ski trip because she hadn´t before skied.
4. I didn’t recognize Ellen at the party because… (I not/ see / for years)
I didn’t recognize Ellen at the party because I hadn´t seen for years.
5. John didn’t catch the bus because… (he/not leave/ the house/ on time)
John didn’t catch the bus because he hadn’t left the house on time.
6. Andy ate a huge super last night because… (he/not eat/ all day)
 Andy ate a huge super last night because he hadn´t eaten all day.
7. The farmers’ fields were very dry because… (it/not rain/ for weeks)
The farmers’ fields were very dry because it rained for weeks.

8. Roberta’s hair looked terrible last night because… (she/ not comb/ all day)
Roberta’s hair looked terrible last night because she hadn´t combed all day.
9. Amanda was exhausted yesterday because… (she/ not sleep/ well for several days)
Amanda was exhausted yesterday because she hadn´t slept well for several days.
10. I was so happy when I got to the theater because… (the movie/not start/ yet)
I was so happy when I got to the theater because the movie hadn´t started yet.

PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (CONTINUOUS) TENSE WITH BEFORE

Complete the following sentences with the past perfect progressive tense and the verbs provided.

1. Mrs. Anderson  was trying  (try) to get a taxi for over half and hour before she finally caught one.
2. Ben’s eyes were bothering (bother) him for over a year before he finally got glasses.
3. Marta was living (live) in her apartment for six months before she finally met her neighbors.
4. The patient  was waiting (wait) in the emergency room for several hours before a doctor finally saw him.
5. Ellie was trying on  (try on) shoes all morning before she finally bought a pair.
6. Chris was trying on (date) Sandra for three years before he finally asked her to marry him.
7. The doctor was telling (tell) me to lose weight for years before I finally decided to go on a diet.
8. The fire alarm was ringing (ring) for five minutes before he finally woke up and ran out of the apartment.
9. They were driving (drive) for hours before they finally saw a service station.
10. Andrea was crying (cry) for hours before she finally told her parents the reason why she was so unhappy.
11. The politician was traveling (travel) across the country for months before he finally started to gain
popularity.
12. We were working (work) for over five hours before the boss finally told us to take a break.
13. The athlete was training (train) for many years before he made the Olympic team.
14. The author was writing (write) stories for years before he finally had a book published.